Even as the Pandemic Subsides, Employee Mental Health Remains Top of Mind

For many in the workforce, social distancing and remote work, coupled with fears of infection or job loss, caused new mental health issues in some and worsened existing diagnoses for others. Worldwide data shows COVID-19 triggered a 25 per cent increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression.

In response, many companies began to acknowledge the importance of employee mental health and added resources and programs to support their people’s well-being.

Even as pandemic life subsides, employee mental health remains top of mind. In fact, at RBC, support for creating a truly healthy and safe work environment has long been a focus.

The bank was among the first financial institutions in Canada to declare employees’ psychological health and safety a business priority with the RBC Blueprint for Mental Health and Well-Being in 2017. The Blueprint sets out RBC’s vision, objectives, and priorities for protecting employees’ psychological health and safety in the workplace and continues to guide how RBC supports colleagues even today.

“Employee mental health has been a priority for many years,” says Senior Director of Benefits and Wellness Andrejka Massicotte. “It’s one of the pillars of our global wellness program, and we prioritized it because we recognized the needs of our employees and of the managers supporting them. As a people-first company, we’re committed to responding to employees’ needs — without stigma.”

The power of being real

While benefits and resources are important, creating an environment where employees can ask for help and confidently access those resources is key.

Company leaders play a key role in creating a psychologically safe environment, especially after two years of pandemic life, when employees need to feel they can share their more vulnerable sides.

Shareen Luze, Head of Culture and Field Experience at RBC Wealth Management — U.S., publicly shared her journey with severe post-partum anxiety.

“It’s important that leaders be real and show vulnerability because only then can employees feel comfortable to show up as their whole selves and speak openly about how they are feeling without shame or judgment,” Luze explains.

Executives did just that in 2021 when they bravely admitted their own struggles in a video as part of an integrated mental health awareness program, “Together, we are perfectly human.” Their experiences show that everyone is going through something — and that it’s okay to ask for help.

Investing in employee mental health

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to care. That’s why RBC’s resources support employees where they are — through an app, virtual counselling or in-person care.

In Canada, home to more than 70 per cent of RBC’s global employees, the bank increased reimbursement for psychological services from $3,000 to $5,000 per person per year in 2021. RBC also includes coverage for eligible practitioners beyond psychologists and social workers, including psychotherapists and marriage counsellors.

In the U.S., RBC Wealth Management introduced the “Learn to Live” program in 2020 to help employees and their families deal with anxiety, stress, worry and grief through free coaching sessions and on-demand webinars.

RBC also provides self-guided learning to help all its regional employees learn how to have conversations about mental health — whether with friends, family or colleagues. In the “Speaking Openly About Mental Health” web module, employees learn how to start a conversation with someone they’re concerned about and resources to share.

Kameron Hilroy took the course and said it was a great reminder of the importance of normalizing mental health conversations. He says, “Creating safe-to-speak-up spaces is crucial to remove the judgment and stigma that’s historically surrounded mental health.”

Two RBC apps also make prioritizing mental health easy regardless of where employees are. The coaching app RethinkCare offers U.S. employees daily sessions and courses to manage stress, including topics like relationships and sleep. And all RBC employees globally get a free subscription to the mindfulness and meditation app, Headspace.

Client Associate Kristy Hernandez says she downloaded Headspace in the early days of the pandemic and found it brought her a lot of peace and calm in an otherwise chaotic time.

“Sometimes, if I am having a difficult day, I will sit in my car and do a few breathing techniques I learned through Headspace to calm my mind and clear my thoughts,” she explains.

Teams are even using the app to wrap up weekly meetings to center and ground themselves as they prepare for the workday.

Mental health matters in communities

In addition to supporting employees’ mental health, RBC has had a longstanding commitment to the mental well-being of the broader community — since 2008. One of the key pillars of RBC’s Future Launch program — a 10-year, $500 million commitment — helps empower Canadian youth for the jobs of tomorrow. Future Launch partners with governments, educators, youth organizations and companies to foster youth potential and change that makes a difference.

“RBC believes that supporting the mental well-being of Canadian youth is fundamental to creating a healthy, vibrant workforce,” says Cindy Chao, RBC’s Director of Youth Strategy.

Photo: RBC made a big commitment to the mental well-being of the broader community in 2017

A study by the International Labour Organization found young people’s engagement levels, productivity and career prospects are directly linked to their overall mental wellbeing.

Knowing this, it’s not surprising that more than two years into the pandemic, the demand for psychological services is at an all-time high, especially among children and teens, partly because of disrupted school and socialization routines. One in five young Canadians is struggling with their mental well-being, and 80 per cent of those struggling don’t get the help they need.¹

For youth, texting is the communication of choice and organizations that provide 24/7 crisis intervention saw a sharp increase in texting volume during the pandemic. That’s why in 2020 RBC made a global donation to support organizations like the Crisis Text line, Kids Help Phone in Canada, Shout UK and Spunout.

The care and compassion that drives employees

RBC’s open support of employee and community mental health is inspiring colleagues like Lisa Barnett, a Guernsey-based managing director for RBC Wealth Management. Barnett participated in the Walk of Hope at Vale Castle, raising awareness of suicide prevention for Guernsey Mind, a mental health charity.

Photo: Walk of Hope at Vale Castle

“Some of our team have used the charity, having lost a loved one or knowing someone in need of its services. I’m so proud that RBC is committed to supporting programs helping young people and families access the right care at the right time,” she says.

More than 500 employees participated, raising over £22,500 to benefit Guernsey Mind for one-on-one therapeutic support and other resources.

“The care and compassion that drives employees to help can only be fueled by a workplace culture that believes in those same ideas,” said Alan Richardson, Senior Vice President of Talent Solutions & Strategy at RBC. “Because work is important, but even more so are the people behind it.”

Want to work at a company that prioritizes employee well-being? Explore current opportunities at RBC here.

^{1. Smetanin et al. (2011). The life and economic impact of major mental illnesses in Canada: 2011-2041. Prepared for the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Toronto: RiskAnalytica.}

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