Mental Health in the Workplace – Information and Tools for HR Professionals

18
May 2023
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A man in a suit is shaking hands with another man in a white shirt.

Author: CPHR Alberta Calgary Chapter Committee

According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, one in four Canadians, in any given week, cannot work due to mental health problems or illnesses. Besides reduced productivity, mental health issues can also lead to increased absenteeism, higher healthcare costs, decreased job satisfaction, and impaired workplace relationships, causing substantial losses for individuals and organizations. To help- HR professionals get to the bottom of this human energy crisis and provide practical tips to create more awareness around mental health in your organizations, the Calgary Chapter Committee interviewed the owner of Abridge Consulting and workplace mental health expert  Tara Adams  and CEO of Headversity and Psychiatrist  Dr. Ryan Todd.

First, let’s look at common stressors that can impact our mental health.  Dr. Todd shared that some of the top stressors according to the American Psychological Association are health, finances, family, and work, the “four big buckets” as he put it. He pointed out that major shifts in any of those buckets will impact people’s mental health. Specific to the workplace, Tara identified a few primary stressors such as workload, lack of clarity, changes in the workplace, and relationships with colleagues or supervisors, with workload being the most common.  Dr. Todd and Tara both emphasized the impact of change on people’s mental health. Identifying the common stressors in the workplace help direct our efforts.

How do we approach the topic of mental health at work? What can we as HR professionals do to reduce the stigma around it? Talking about mental health, we need to be mindful of our language. Tara stressed that language matters and can significantly impact individuals with mental health concerns. She advocates the use of “people-first language,” for example, using words like “I live with depression” instead of saying “I’m depressed.” Also, avoid trivializing words such as "crazy" or "psycho” and using mental illnesses as adjectives. She also underscores the importance of being mindful of our body language and tone of voice when communicating with people.

Dr. Todd believes in leading a conversation with care and empathy. A lot of us are afraid to have these conversations and ask ourselves “Am I going to get sued?”, “What if I bring something up and I don’t know how to handle it?”, and “I don’t have the training, so how do I possibly do this?” He suggested if we see someone struggling, try to point out in a nonjudgmental way things we have noticed.

"When we lead the conversation with the most amount of care and empathy, genuinely trying to help that person, there is nothing but good that can come from that conversation – Dr. Ryan Todd”

Both Dr. Todd and Tara believe that HR professionals play a crucial role in advocating and creating awareness around mental health in the workplace.

Here are four suggestions on how we can best lean into this role:

  1. Understand our role in supporting employees with mental health distress. At the same time, we need to know our boundaries and understand that we are not clinicians. 
  2. Educate ourselves on how to have mental health conversations and how to upskill our employees in core mental health skills like energy management and resilience.
  3. Be role models by acknowledging we are human too with good and bad days. Take care of our own mental health as we can’t serve others from an empty cup.
  4. It is essential to be fluent in both internal and external resources which can help employees with mental health concerns. 

“HR professionals should know their roles and create boundaries and make the HR team a key stakeholder group for receiving training and tools. – Tara Adams” 

There are a variety of tools we can use to assess the mental health of the people in our organization. Dr. Todd believes in scalable data tools and urges us to employ more ways to measure preventative mental health and provide people access to tools as well as the best content that is evidence-based. Tara's recommends three mental health assessment tools:

  1. Using data from surveys, vendors, tools, and consultants. 
  2. Collecting anecdotal evidence from employees and leaders and comparing the data trends with the conversations we have. 
  3. Using storytelling as a powerful tool to assess the mental health of employees, where we can collect success stories and learn from not-so-successful stories. 

Tara and Dr. Todd believe in adopting a proactive approach to mental health in the workplace, which involves shifting resources towards prevention, allowing for earlier intervention, and creating a strong business case. It also means integrating workplace mental health into onboarding and leadership development strategies to remove any existing stigma. By doing so, training for specific departments or teams only will not be required, which may benefit more employees. An example of a proactive approach to Dr. Todds is prioritizing leaders in training relating to mental health. Dr. Todd has witnessed a lot of success in training leadership first and having the rest of the organization follow with scalable training.   

HR professionals also have a role to play in coaching managers on managing their teams' mental health. Tara suggested four simple ways in which managers can support their teams during Mental Health Week:

  1. Give the team time to invest in their mental health, such as offering time off, encouraging mindfulness, or providing other mental health support options. 
  2. Make time to learn about workplace mental health resources and policies. 
  3. Connect one-on-one with team members to understand their mental health concerns and offer support. 
  4. Remind team members about Employee Family Assistant Programs (EFAP). 

To conclude, we extend our deep appreciation to Tara and Ryan for sharing their strong belief in advocating for a comprehensive workplace mental health strategy and resources as well as practical guidance to address the challenge of mental health in the workplace. For more information, please connect directly with either  Tara Adams  or  Dr. Ryan Todd


The views and opinions expressed in this blog post belong solely to the original author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of CPHR Alberta.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog post belong solely to the original author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of CPHR Alberta.



2025 Year-End Message - Geordie MacPherson

By Jessica Jaithoo • December 17, 2025
As we close out 2025, I’m feeling genuinely proud of what CPHR Alberta has accomplished this year, and grateful for the members, volunteers, partners, and staff who made it possible. Together, we’ve continued to strengthen the value of the CPHR designation, expanded professional development opportunities, and deepened relationships with government, post-secondary institutions, and business leaders. This year also brought some milestones worth celebrating. We’re ending 2025 in a financially stable position, and our membership grew by 7% , which is a nice reminder that the HR community is thriving, and that we are still the kind of people others willingly choose to join. One of the most important pieces of work this year was launching our 2026–2028 Strategic Plan. This roadmap was shaped by member input, market research, and alignment with CPHR Canada’s national priorities. It’s the product of a truly collaborative process led by our Board and operations team, forward-looking, grounded in data, and practical in how it positions us for what’s next. At its core, the plan strengthens the HR profession and supports the people who drive it, reinforcing our commitment to a resilient and inclusive HR community. I encourage you to read it and see where we’re headed. View the Strategic Plan here. Our pursuit of self-regulation remains a priority, and our advocacy efforts this year continued to deepen relationships with government and position HR as a trusted profession. We’re making progress, ensuring HR’s voice is present in key policy conversations and recognized where it matters most. If nothing else, we are getting very good at showing up, staying thoughtful, and keeping the conversation moving forward. To build on this momentum, we’re currently recruiting two Chartered Members and up to one Public Members to join our Board. We’re looking for candidates with prior governance experience and strengths in areas such as strategic business leadership, financial management, legal expertise, or IDEA. It’s also important to us to have meaningful geographic representation from outside Calgary and Edmonton, because Alberta is bigger than two postal codes, and our Board should reflect that. You can learn more about the process and requirements through our blog , and I’d encourage you to apply or share the opportunity with someone who’d be a great fit. Applications close January 9, 2026. Chartered and Retired Members: Apply through your member portal Public Members: Contact Heather McMaster at hmcmaster@cphrab.ca for application details As the holiday season approaches, I hope you find time to rest, recharge, and take a moment to acknowledge what you’ve contributed this year, professionally and personally. Thank you for everything you do to advance the HR profession. I’m confident that, together, we’ll continue building something even stronger in 2026. And if your out-of-office message is already drafted, I respect the efficiency. Geordie MacPherson, CEC, CPHR, SHRM-SCP Chair, Board of Directors, CPHR Alberta

2025 Year-End Message - Ioana Giurca

By Jessica Jaithoo • December 17, 2025
As we close out 2025, I am proud to reflect on the incredible work our association has accomplished this year. With the support of CPHR Canada, we continue to strengthen a national network of over 33,000 HR practitioners and professionals, including more than 7,300 in Alberta. Our collaboration with provincial counterparts, post-secondary institutions, local chambers, and government partners remains central to promoting the value of hiring a designated professional and advancing consistent standards across Canada. This year, CPHR Alberta grew by 7%, with the majority of new members coming from students and emerging HR professionals—the future of our profession. Thank you to all our members for the work you do every day to elevate the profession. Operationally, 2025 was a year of engagement and impact. We hosted 76 events across Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, welcoming over 6,300 attendees to workshops, roundtables, webinars, and community sessions. Complimentary events played a key role in sustaining access to learning and connection for our members. Our Annual Conference was a highlight, bringing together a sold-out audience, a fully booked exhibitor space, and earning strong satisfaction ratings with 77% of attendees rating their experience positively. Thoughtful planning is already underway for our 2026 Conference on June 2 and 3 at the BMO Centre in Calgary, where expanded attendee capacity, increased exhibitor space, and enhanced programming will elevate the experience for HR professionals across our jurisdiction. Through our marketing campaign, we focused on raising awareness of the strategic value a CPHR brings to organizations. The results speak for themselves with 10% of new members joined after seeing our campaign, and website traffic increased by 17%, averaging over 55,000 views per month. In 2025, CPHR Alberta navigated Ministry changes, new mandate letters, and changes to professional governance. The Professional Governance Act (PGA) was introduced in the Spring of 2025 and received royal assent in May. This was a long-awaited and important step forward. CPHR Alberta operations and the Board are at work reviewing the legislation and anticipating the incoming regulations. We have continued our focus in broader advocacy and engagement to promote the profession as a leading voice, valued partner and knowledge expert. Throughout the year, we deepened our existing relationships, built new ones, and partnered on impactful projects at various levels of government and with community partners. We look forward to continuing to highlight the significance and impact of the profession within our organizations and communities throughout 2026. Looking ahead, we are excited to implement our 2026–2028 Strategic Plan , continue rolling out our new member recognition program, and shine a spotlight on our incredible HR community at our Member Recognition Gala in April. We will also advance our work toward self-regulation, ensuring the HR profession is recognized and trusted for its impact on organizations and communities. I want to thank our incredible team at CPHR Alberta and the many volunteers who make our work possible. Your dedication ensures we deliver value to our members and advance the HR profession every day. Thank you also to our Board of Directors for their guidance and leadership throughout the year.  As the holiday season approaches, I wish you joy, rest, and time to celebrate your accomplishments. Together, we are shaping the future of HR—and I look forward to all we will achieve in 2026. Ioana Giurca, CEO, CPHR Alberta

An Update from your Board of Directors – November 2025

By Jessica Jaithoo • December 4, 2025
As the governing voice of CPHR Alberta, the Board of Directors meets quarterly to provide oversight and guidance in several key areas. The Board, alongside CPHR Alberta operations, continues to deliver on the association's strategic priorities developed in the 2020 strategic plan. To ensure transparency between our Board of Directors, members and key stakeholders, we are sharing post-meeting messages to inform the steps taken towards advancing our profession and ensuring a financially stable association. The Board of Directors met on November 27, 2025, and is proud to share the strong momentum we are experiencing across our community. The Board’s key messages are as follows: Membership Growth As of September 30, 2025, we reached 7,213 active members, a 7% year-over-year increase, with the majority coming from student and emerging HR professionals. This growth affirms the momentum of our HR profession and the impact of our student engagement initiatives. Professional Development Member participation remains strong with 53 events held year-to-date, with 5,013 attendees across workshops, roundtables, webinars, and community sessions. Our complimentary events have played a key role in sustaining engagement and access to learning. Annual Conference The Annual Conference was a heavy focus for the association in Q3. The sold-out event continues to bring together our community for valuable professional development and networking opportunities, creating a strong foundation for 2026. Attendees reported high satisfaction, with over 370 in attendance, and a sold-out exhibitor hall. “The CPHR conference was incredibly educational and inspiring. The speakers motivated me, and it was an experience I’ll never forget. I really enjoyed it, grew closer to my team, and I definitely want to attend again.” – 2025 Conference Attendee The 2026 event will be held at the BMO Centre, in Calgary on June 2 and 3 – with increased capacity, expanded exhibitor space, and enhanced programming will elevate the experience for all HR professionals across Alberta, NWT and Nunavut. Self-Regulation The Board continues to assess the implications of Alberta’s Professional Governance Act (PGA), including: Advocacy, legal, and governance impact assessments are being commissioned. Preliminary recommendations from management will be brought to the Board in March and June 2026, leading to a formal decision. Further information will be shared, when ready.  Future Vision Approved: 2026-2028 Strategic Plan Our new 2026–2028 Strategic Plan will be rolled out in December to all members. The 3-year Strategic Plan, crafted from member feedback, market research, and collaboration with CPHR Canada – aims to strengthen our profession’s influence, amplifies leadership, and creates pathways for all members to thrive. Fiscal Responsibility Our Q3 financial review remains on track for a balanced year-end forecast. The 2026 draft budget has been approved – aligning resources with our strategic priorities while maintaining a disciplined and responsible financial approach. Board Governance Our board continues to focus on good governance practice, ensure stability, clarity, and accountability across our organization. FCPHR Nominations A reminder that the prestigious Fellowship Award is open for nominations! This national program recognizes Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHRs) who have made exemplary contributions to the HR profession. Recipients are granted recognition as a Fellow of the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (FCPHR). Click here to learn more about the Fellowship Award, including the guidelines and completing your nomination. You can also download a copy of the nomination form here. The next Board meeting takes place in March 2026, after which we will again share our key messages. If you have any questions regarding these key messages or the Board of Directors, please contact chair@cphrab.ca . We welcome your feedback!
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