Creating safe-to-speak-up spaces is crucial to remove the judgement and stigma that's historically surrounded mental health.
For many in the workforce, the isolation of remote working and social distancing, coupled with fear of catching COVID-19 or of a job loss, caused new mental health issues and exacerbated existing diagnoses for others. Data from the World Health Organisation showed that COVID-19 triggered a 25 percent increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression within the first year of the pandemic.
In response, many companies began to acknowledge the importance of employee mental health and added resources and programmes to support wellbeing.
Now, as the pandemic subsides, employee mental health remains top of mind. At RBC, support in creating a psychologically healthy and safe work environment has long been a focus. The bank was among the first financial institutions in Canada to declare the psychological health and safety of employees a business priority with the RBC Blueprint for Mental Health and Well-Being in 2017.
The blueprint set out RBC’s vision, objectives and priorities for protecting the psychological health and safety of employees 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 programme and we’ve prioritised it because we recognised 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”
While benefits and resources are important, creating an environment where employees can ask for help and confidently access those resources is key. Company leaders are critical to this process, especially after two years of a pandemic when employees need to feel like they can share their human side.
Shareen Luze is head of culture and field experience at RBC Wealth Management–U.S. and has publicly shared her personal 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 judgement,” she 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 programme, “Together, we are perfectly human.” Their experiences show that everyone is going through something – and that it’s okay to ask for help.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to care. That’s why RBC’s resources meet employees where they are – whether it’s an app, virtual counselling or in-person care.
In Canada, home to more than 70 percent 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, such as psychotherapists and marriage counsellors.
In the U.S., RBC 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 employees in all of its regions learn how to have conversations about mental health – whether that be 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 with them.
Kameron Hilroy took the course and said it was a great reminder of the importance of normalising mental health conversations. He says, “Creating safe-to-speak-up spaces is crucial to remove the judgement and stigma that’s historically surrounded mental health.”
Two RBC apps also make it easy to prioritise mental health no matter 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’m 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 as a way to center and ground themselves as they prepare for the workday.
In addition to supporting employees’ mental health, RBC made a big commitment to the mental wellbeing of the broader community in 2017. One of the key pillars of RBC’s Future Launch programme, a 10-year, $500 million commitment, helps empower Canadian youth for the jobs of tomorrow. Future Launch partners with governments, educators, youth organisations and companies to foster 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, Director of Youth Strategy.
A study conducted by the International Labour Organisation found that young people’s engagement levels, productivity and career prospects are directly linked to their overall mental wellbeing. It’s unsurprising then, 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 socialisation routines. In fact, one in five kids are struggling with their mental well-being1 – and 80% of those struggling don’t get the help they need.
For kids, texting is the communication of choice and organisations 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 organisations like the Crisis Text Line , Kids Help Phone in Canada, Shout UK and SpunOut .
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 RBC Walk of Hope for mental health charity, Guernsey Mind, raising awareness of suicide prevention and stimulating conversations around mental health.
“Some of our team have used the charity themselves, having lost a loved one or knowing someone in need of its services. I’m so proud that RBC is committed to supporting programmes that help young people and families access the right care at the right time,” she says.
More than 500 employees participated, raising over £22,500 for Guernsey Mind. The proceeds will fund one-on-one therapeutic support and as well as training in suicide awareness and prevention.
“The care and compassion that drives employees to help can only be fuelled 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.”