Leader Toolkit: Supporting your team’s Mental Health and Well-being

Regular check-ins/one-to-one meetings

• Establish how frequently you'll meet and the agenda.  Be present, actively listen to your employee, and then add your perspective.  Confirm action items (who is doing what by when) before ending the meeting.
• Sample Check-in Questions:
  • How are you?
  • What is going well?
  • What obstacles or barriers are you facing?
  • What additional support do you need?

Regular team meetings/huddles

• Schedule regular team meetings and/or huddles for your team to connect, share updates, offer support, and celebrate successes.
  • Tip: Set an agenda and encourage team members to contribute agenda items, during the meeting abide by each agenda item’s allotted time and confirm action items (who is doing what by when) before ending the meeting.

Participating in training

• Support employees to enhance their professional skills, make new contacts through networking, connect with colleagues, stay up to date, gain new perspectives and so much more!
• Visit the Professional Development Courses webpage and Wellness at Work Events webpage to view upcoming training.

Disconnecting from Work

• Encourage your employees to have a healthy work-life balance by taking their allotted breaks/lunch, protecting time to complete work tasks, and fully disconnecting from work at the end of each workday.
  • Tip: If sending emails outside of regular business hours, include text such as: “Please do not feel obliged to reply to this email outside of your work hours.”

Life is full of ebb and flow.  There will be times when employees are flourishing at work, and times they need support to be successful.  Consider using these approaches/phrases, used and adapted from Mindful Employer Canada, in the below situations.

Overwhelming workload

• Affirm their experience as valid.
• Review their current responsibilities and prioritize.
• Talk about what success looks like – make sure everyone understands expectations and keep the conversation open so that adjustments can be made as appropriate.
• Ensure to give clear direction - this can help employees to feel grounded. 

Responding to disagreements to foster trust

Ensure the conversation permits space for the employee to share their perspective – where are they coming from and how they feel - and for you to share yours. 

• “I can see this may have hurt you. Can we chat about it?”
• “Thank you for sharing your perspective with me. Can I share my intentions with you?”
• “Are you open to sharing more with me? I’d like to understand.”
• “My hope is to better understand each other’s differing views and consider how we can move forward together.”
• Follow the “THINK” model when coming up with a response that is positive and affirming – (True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, Kind)
  • “I’m here to support you.”
  • “Thank you for being here.”
  • “It’s okay to make mistakes.”
  • “I believe in you.”
  • “Your feelings are valid.”
  • “Can I help you by taking something off your plate?”

Offering support to employees who are dealing with difficulties in their personal lives

• “I’m sorry you’re experiencing [situation], and I want to reassure you that I’m grateful you shared this with me”
• “You’re an important member of this team and we care about you.”
• "Would you like to review the mental health and well-being resource web page together?"
• “Are you ok with me reaching out to our Wellness at Work team to confirm what other resources are available that may be helpful?”

After an incident* occurs, check in with your team, and remind them of the mental health and well-being supports and resources that are available to them.  Keep in mind that there are a wide range of reactions that employees may experience. 

*What is perceived as concerning or a stressful incident will vary by each individual or team, such as changes in the workplace, world events, or the loss of a team member or team member’s family member.

Conduct an Ad hoc Incident Review (AIR)

• This leadership tool can be used to reduce distress in your team following exposure to any potential stressor, workplace incident, or any time stress levels are high within the team.
• Complete these three steps:
  • Acknowledge and listen: “These are challenging times. Whatever you’re feeling is ok.”
    • Acknowledge that something happened
    • Review the facts without going into details.
    • Listen and provide an opportunity for discussion
  • Inform and remind: “Here are some ways that can help keep us well right now.”
    • Help your team check-in with themselves about their mental health.
    • Emphasize the importance of taking care of themselves.
    • Remind them about using healthy coping strategies (e.g.: exercise, healthy eating, accessing support resources)
  • Respond and follow-up: "Everyone responds differently during challenging times, so I want to check-in and see how we're doing."
    • Observe your team and follow-up with members in the upcoming hours, days, and weeks.
    • Walk the talk by modeling healthy coping strategies and seeking help if needed.

Check-in with your employees

• Use the REACH Guidelines: Supporting Colleagues to recognize the warning signs, engage, acknowledge, and connect your team to help.

Directing to Resources

• Refer employees to the Mental Health and Well-being webpage, where they can access a variety of support resources.
• Organize an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Group Session: Contact Elise Arbic, Employee Health & Wellness Manager, elise.arbic@ontariotechu.ca to arrange for an EAP counsellor to host a voluntarily group session with your team.

Trauma affects individuals across various backgrounds and experiences, influencing their perceptions, behaviours, and interactions. By adopting trauma-informed approaches, we acknowledge the widespread impact of trauma and strive to create spaces that prioritize empathy, resilience, and empowerment.

Strategies

• Choice: Providing employees with options and choice where possible.
  • Example: Providing staff opportunities to make decisions and feel empowered.
    
    
• Clarity of process and policy: Clarity breeds easier navigation for employees. Transparency of expectations and ways of doing things promotes safety.
  • Example: Clear, understandable, easy to follow processes.
    
    
• Collaboration: Working collectively to advance the goals of the organization.
  • Example: Inviting employees for their feedback on continuous improvement.
    
    
• Reliability: Reliability promotes trustworthiness. 
  • Example: Following through on assigned tasks. Doing what you say you will do.
    
    
• Self-reflection: Being mindful of the power dynamic of supervisor-employee relationships.
  • Example: Reflecting on how you are taking up and sharing space with employees.
    
    
• Social location: Being mindful of the power dynamic of supervisor-employee relationships.
  • Example: Reflecting on your social location and the power that comes with privilege.
    
    
• Transparency: Where possible and appropriate, sharing context surrounding a decision will help build trust between supervisors and employees. 
  • Example: Providing rationale for decision making. 

Reference: Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health

Set-up a Manager Consultation via our EAP provider TELUS Health

• This confidential one-on-one telephonic consultation is available 24/7 for managers by calling 1.844.671.3327. Manager consultations can help with advice and guidance to help you manage unique and sensitive situations you’re facing in the workplace, such as a workplace conflict, how to help a grieving employee or addressing a mental health concern.

Complete a Self-Assessment

• Providing support can impact your mental health and well-being. Use the REACH Guidelines: Self-Assessment to understand how you respond to stress, and access the available supports and resources as need.

Have questions or need further support?

• Contact your Wellness at Work team: wellnessatwork@ontariotechu.ca