Relief for Business
services designed to create a caring corporate culture open to mental health
Relief works with businesses and organizations across Canada to foster a healthy, balanced and safe mental health work environment. The goal is to create an organizational culture of openness and caring. The Relief for Business program is aimed at senior executives, managers and employees, and combines awareness, training, information, support and intervention.
objectives
-
- foster a prejudice-free work climate and reduce stigmatization
- encourage open conversations about mental health and establish a common language around it
- educate and equip employees and managers about mental health
- improve work-life balance and quality of life
- offer self-management support at all levels of the organization
- facilitate disclosure of mental health issues so that individuals in distress can get help
is it for you?
you are an organization where...
-
- your employees are not doing well despite the measures in place
- your employees do not make sufficient use of the resources offered
- your managers feel they offer more support than perceived by employees
- your managers are not aware of the health status of their team members
- you operate in an environment where mental health is still hidden
Here is a video of our president, Martin Enault, presenting the main benefits of the Relief fur Business program for managers:
service trajectory for your organization
Maintaining balance at work
Employees who are aware of and empowered to manage their mental health, open to discussing their challenges with their colleagues and managers.
My Relief at work
Managers who are proactive and equipped to manage their own mental health and that of their team, becoming agents of change to create a psychologically safe environment.
Employee support
A psychosocial resource available to intervene effectively when an employee raises his or her hand.
Living with a better workplace balance
Employees able to apply mental health self-management strategies at all stages of the operating cycle, including work stoppages and return to work.
our services
Maintaining balance at work: a conference about mental health dedicated to employees
format
- 60 minutes conference
- led by a Relief clinical mental health practitioner
- offered virtually or in person
- maximum of 250 participants
- available in French and English
overview of topics covered
- video testimonials
- understanding self-management
- anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and their impact at work
- stages of functioning at work
- reducing psychosocial risks
- the importance of close relationships
- personalized action plan for coping with anxiety
My Relief at work: a training workshop about mental health dedicated to managers
workplace group
format
- 4 hour training
- led by a Relief clinical mental health practitioner
- offered virtually or in person
- 10 to 20 participants per training
- available in French and English
overview of topics covered
- mental health ans its taboos
- understanding self-management
- how to take care of my own mental health
- a vigilant, caring, and healthy manager
- detect signs of psychological distress and intervene
- cycle of work functioning stages
- simulations and practical application of real cases
individual registration
format
- 4 hour training
- led by a Relief clinical mental health practitioner
- offered virtually
- available in French and English
- Relief's trainings are launched at the beginning of each season and bring together participants from a variety of organizations.
Relief's workshops are launched at the beginning of each season and bring together participants from a variety of organizations.
Employee support
individual psychosocial meeting
format
- maximum of two 50-minute sessions
- support provided by a Relief clinical mental health practitioner
- available virtually or in person (at Relief’s premises)
- available in French and English
- simplified registration process: we provide an easy-to-use form for employee registration
overview of topics covered
- Psychosocial meetings allow intervention as soon as the first signs of distress appear, before difficulties escalate. It's a concrete and humane solution that contributes directly to preserving employees' psychological well-being and, by extension, their commitment, motivation and performance at work.
Self-management workshop: Living with a better workplace balance
format
- duration: 11 weeks (2h30 per week, except on the first week which is 90 minutes)
- virtual or in person (at Relief)
- available in English and French
- easy registration directly on the Relief website
- on request, this workshop is also available in a group format in the workplace.
overview of topics covered
- defining what work represents for you and developing a realistic view of it
- understanding the different manifestations of anxiety, depression or bipolarity in the workplace
- recognizing your warning signs at work and pinpointing your functional cycles
- recognizing the influence of your perceptions so that you can work on modifying them
- better managing your stress at work
access to funding and subsidies
Thanks to the partnership between the CPQ and Relief, SMEs will benefit from a 10% discount on Relief for Business training and conferences. For more information on the financing assistance program, visit the CPQ website (forthcoming).
testimonies
"Thank you so much for the valuable tools and testimonials. If this had been presented to me a few years ago, it might have enabled me to become aware of my burnout more quickly." Participant in one of our conferences
"Really appreciated the content and approach. We felt really comfortable and confident with the trainer, who had a perfect command of the material and had the perfect way of facilitating discussions." Participant in one of our training sessions
why the Relief for Business program is essential
Taking care of your organization's mental health is essential, at a time when the costs associated with mental health problems are exorbitant for a company. Relief accompanies each employee on his or her mental health self-management journey, for lasting well-being within the organization.
Frequently asked questions
why is mental health at work important?
“71% of respondents report that their organization offers an employee and family assistance program (EAP), but only 20% have used it.” (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2017)
In Canada, only “half (52%) of managers believe they can identify team members suffering from psychological distress.” (MHRC, 2024)
In Canadian SMEs, “according to one in two people, their manager never or rarely asks about the state of their physical or mental health.” (Relief Research Chair, 2023)
“All sectors of activity have a negative opinion of mental health management in the workplace.” (MHRC, 2021)
Only one-third of Canadian workers feel comfortable talking about their mental health in the workplace (MHRC, 2021).
what are the main significant obstacles for people seeking help?
The stigma associated with mental disorders often holds employees back from seeking help, for fear of prejudice or discrimination. Yet, without open communication, managers remain in the dark about the challenges faced by their teams, which limits their ability to implement effective solutions and strategies to accompany and support their employees. (Dewa et al., 2021)
“43% of people perceive that disclosing their difficulties might cause their supervisor.e to treat them differently.”
(Relief Research Chair, 2023)
“68% of Canadian workers believe that disclosing their mental health difficulties could affect their career prospects.” (MHRC, 2021)
why does talking about mental health pay off?
1.62$ return for every dollar invested in mental health
A 10% increase in a manager's emotional intelligence score is associated with a +7% increase in overall performance, including profitability
500,000 Canadians miss work every week due to psychological health problems
Mental health-related work stoppages account for around 40% of total disability
In 2023, the private sector lost an average of 9.5 days per worker due to absenteeism5. In the public sector, the figure is 15.8 days.
is the living with a better worplace balance workshop covered by insurers?
Yes, some insurers now accept reimbursement for Relief self-management workshops. To find out, you will need to check with your insurer to see if they accept to reimburse this service and if the policy you have with them covers it. Before signing up, you can submit the supporting letter below.
how do i claim reimbursement from my insurer if I register to the living with a better workplace balance workshop?
Relief automatically issues a receipt for reimbursement to each participant registered for a workshop. This receipt is sent automatically after the last session of the workshop. Be sure to file a claim with your insurer for each workshop session, indicating the date and amount of each session as shown on the receipt.
You have questions?