Small business owners in the region soon will be getting some advice on how to improve the mental health of their workers.
The Canadian Mental Health Association Grey Bruce will be teaming up with the Owen Sound and District Chamber of Commerce and the Hanover Chamber of Commerce to help the small employers deal with mental health issues in the workplace.
Mental Health Association Trainer Jeff Suchak says they will be offering the Mental Health Works program this summer and fall to bring these training seminars to the so called mom and pop operations.
Suchak says for the small business person they really cant afford not to take these courses because they can expect to see anywhere from a five to 15 per cent loss of productivity when it comes to mental health issues in the work place.
He says the Mental Health Works division is a program that specifically targets the work place and provides organizations with the tools and resources they need to address issues involving mental illness .
Suchak says this program allows employers to recognize the signs that may indicate a person may having a mental health problem.
He says a recent survey of 400 Canadian companies shows that 83 per cent of them considered stress to be a major workplace health risk.
Suchak says that the Canadian economy loses an estimated 30 billion dollars annually in post production caused by mental illness and addiction problems.
For more information on the Mental Health Works programe you can call the Mental Health Association at (519) 371-3642.