letter from the editor
THE RIGHT FRAME
OF MIND
Welcome to a new year and the first 2014 edition
(and my first edition as editor) of HR Professional.
For this January issue, we are working to address
an increasingly pertinent topic in Canada: mental health
in the workplace. When you look at the staggering statistics
interspersed throughout this issue (for example, on any given
day, 500,000 Canadians will miss work due to mental health
challenges, as writer Melissa Campeau discovered in writing
her article, “The Mentally Healthy Workforce”), it’s clear why
this is such an important discussion.
Mental health covers the spectrum from diagnosable mental
disorders, to more common, everyday afflictions such as
stress or trying to achieve a more appropriate work-life balance.
With such a broad, critical topic to consider, it’s difficult
to even scratch the surface. However, I hope you find practical,
relevant advice and information throughout our mental
health edition. Fostering a psychologically healthy work environment
should be a goal for all HR professionals and employers.
It has to be a priority and something that is actively
worked on, without the assumption that it will just “happen”
organically.
Should you be in need of mental health assistance for yourself,
a coworker or someone else in your life, there are resources
listed in this issue that I hope you find helpful.
I also look forward to meeting you at HRPA’s 2014 Annual
Conference & Trade Show at the end of January. Please seek
me out; I’m looking forward to chatting about your thoughts
and ideas for HR Professional. ■
Thanks for reading,
Jill Harris
P: 866-953-2182
E: jharris@lesterpublications.com
THE MAGAZINE OF
HUMAN RESOURCES
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
VOLUME 31 / NUMBER 1 JANUARY 2014
Editor: Jill Harris
Managing Editor: Duff McCutcheon, HRPA
Legal Editor: Malcolm MacKillop, Shields O’Donnell MacKillop LLP
Publisher: Lester Communications Inc.
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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Michael Bach, Canadian Institute of
Diversity and Inclusion/Institut canadien
de la diversité et de l’inclusion
Mary Ann Baynton, Great-West Life Centre
for Mental Health in the Workplace
Christine Burych, StarlingBrook Corporation
Eric Cousineau, OCG Strategy &
Organizational Consulting
Joseph (Val) D’Sa, York Region
District School Board
Bonnie Flatt, Master Coaches
Mandy Hanlon, Oakbridges Labour
Relations Consulting Inc.
Jennifer Laidlaw, Ontario
Securities Commission
Norm Sabapathy, Maple Leaf Foods
Dr. Parbudyal Singh, York University
Sandra Smith, North York General Hospital
Melissa Sonberg, Aimia
Christine Thomlinson, Rubin
Thomlinson LLP
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6 ❚ JANUARY 2014 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL