Changes include $10,000 in wellbeing services, manager workshops
Scotiabank is expanding its mental health coverage for workers in Canada next year.
Starting April 1, 2022, all employees eligible for the company’s benefits plan and their eligible dependants will have $10,000 in mental wellbeing services as part of their core coverage, up from the current rate of $3,000.
This includes services such as clinical counsellors, internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) and psychologists.
"We were concerned as we were seeing an increased uptake in use of mental health benefits and know employees are seeking support from their team and employer when it comes to mental health," says Dominic Cole-Morgan, senior vice president of total rewards at Scotiabank.
"Increasing our benefits coverage and support for mental health are necessary to help our team members to thrive for every future, and we're pleased to announce the expansion of our mental health coverage as part of our commitment to support employees and family wellbeing."
Employees can also assign funds into a wellbeing account, where coverage for mental health support can be extended more broadly to family members beyond dependants, such as parents, siblings and adult children living in Canada.
Workers also have 24-7 virtual access to healthcare providers.
More resources and supports will have to be put in place to help employees who suffer from poor mental health, unlike in the past when “we’ve talked about mental health but I don’t think we’ve done much other than pay lip service to it,” says Janet Candido, principal of the Candido Consulting Group in Toronto.
Mental health workshops
The company is also launching live mental health workshops for all people leaders in Canada on Nov. 17. These are intended to better equip them to support employees and reduce stigma around mental health in the workplace.
Scotiabank will also host an internal global event for people managers to help them improve their one-on-one conversations and leverage these opportunities to be better coaches and supportive leaders of their team.
Thirty-seven per cent of Canadians feel unsafe to talk about mental health at work, according to a report from Sun Life.
Leaders must treat mental health as an organizational priority with accountability mechanisms, say Kelly Greenwood, founder and CEO of Mind Share Partners, and Julia Anas, chief people officer at Qualtrics, in the Harvard Business Review.
Leaders should serve as allies by sharing their personal experiences to foster an environment of transparency and openness. This will also help eliminate fear and shame among employees when it comes to talking about mental health, which is a huge hindrance to accessing mental health benefits, they say.
“Organizations have to train leaders, managers and all employees on how to navigate mental health at work, have difficult conversations and create supportive workplaces. Managers are often the first line in noticing changes and supporting their direct reports. Building an environment of psychological safety is key. Mental health policies, practices, culturally competent benefits, and other resources must be put in place and (over)communicated.”
