“It has put strain on the HR profession because you are expected to think about ‘What’s your wellness strategy? What’s your mental health strategy? What are you going to do about it?’”
Cheryl Kerrigan,
BlueCat Networks
“We need to work on changing everyone else's attitude because we can come up with the best plan and resource and benefits, but if I'm afraid of it, if I'm ashamed, I'm not going to get access to it”
Katy Kamkar, CAMH
“Don’t wait – it's not a retirement fund that you need to let sit and wait 30 years ... you need to constantly reassess and look at new health solutions”
Roee Ben-Eli,
TELUS Health
In Partnership with
Closing the gaps in mental health care
Employers and providers are working hard to support employees who are struggling – but better solutions are needed, say experts
Read on
Roee Ben-Eli
TELUS Health
Cheryl Kerrigan
BlueCat Networks
Katy Kamkar
CAMH
Industry experts
AT BLUECAT NETWORKS, massages are no longer the most popular benefit with employees. That’s been replaced by getting help from a mental health provider.
“There’s a cry for help, and as organizations, we need to be better at responding to that and really thinking about prevention, not just treatment,” says Cheryl Kerrigan, chief people officer.
“It has put strain on the HR profession because you are expected to think about ‘What’s your wellness strategy? What’s your mental health strategy? What are you going to do about it?’”
Kerrigan joined Roee Ben-Eli, RN, director of strategic programs at TELUS Health, and Dr. Katy Kamkar, clinical psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), at a recent round table looking into the issue of mental health and the workplace, hosted by Canadian HR Reporter and sponsored by TELUS Health
The pandemic ramped things up tenfold for employers, he says.
“I believe employers are quickly realizing how much of an issue this is, and how much it is costing them in the long term not to have health care support and solutions in place for employees; and by not optimizing, they are not really bringing to bear the full potential of their employee base.”
The most common mental health conditions are clinical depression, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and trauma- and stress-related disorders – especially post-traumatic stress disorder – which are increasingly being recognized as part of workplace mental-health prevention and intervention, says Kamkar, who is also an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and faculty of medicine at the University of Toronto.
“The cost related to mental health disabilities is much higher than the costs related to physical health disabilities. One, because of the high risk of recurrence [with a mental health issue], which is seven times more likely to recur; [and two,] because of the longer duration.”
During an insightful hour-long session, the three discussed the challenges for employers in offering supports with the rise of mental health issues and the gaps in care that are creating obstacles to wellness – along with providing solutions such as workplace training, empathetic leadership, and improved partnerships with providers.
Demand rises for mental health supports
Employers have seen a greater demand for mental health support, with less support and supply of services in the community, the public health sector, and even in the private sector, says Ben-Eli.
“It’s becoming the responsibility of the employer. We see employers more and more stepping up to cover the costs of these supports or suffer the consequences of decreased productivity. So, looking for a resolution and solutions for these services became a natural evolution … for most employers.”
Evolving benefits
At BlueCat, benefits continue to evolve. The company has beefed up its mental health spending, along with providing wellness days, mental-health first-aid training, a mental health committee, training for leaders, mindfulness and meditation, wellness challenges, and lunch-and-learns.
“We're making it a part of our daily conversation,” says Kerrigan. “[It’s about] making it a part of who you are as an organization — your culture, your values — and putting programs into place to really support that.”
When it comes to mental health supports, employees are asking for more, but they don’t necessarily want to spend the money, says Ben-Eli.
“That's where EAP solutions and benefits management allow them to access care ... otherwise people wait until they can't deal with it anymore – then the expense becomes a necessity. But we want it to become an instinct and not get that far.”
The key is proactivity, says Ben-Eli.
“I love to talk prevention, but proactivity to me is more realistic just because proactivity is getting involved as soon as possible – prevention is before it happens. A lot of employees have had anxiety for a long time, dating back to college – you're not going to be preventative. So we want to be proactive.”
Gaps in care
One of the bigger gaps when it comes to mental health supports is the lack of integration in care, because of multiple solutions on different platforms with different modalities, says Kamkar.
“Some are available to management, but not the people on the floor, and vice versa; some are [available to] family, some are just to employees because of cost, because of different factors. Ultimately, it's access to the information and the whole platform through one door that is really becoming the gap that everybody wants to fill.”
Someone seeking care, for example, may have to speak with a doctor, a disability manager, and a psychologist, she says.
“It's exhausting. And especially somebody who's mentally unwell – they're not firing on all cylinders, they're exhausted mentally, cognitive impairment is present. This is a hard thing; it makes it worse. And I think that what we're noticing more and more is that the biggest gap is the information sharing … ultimately, being able to share that inside of an integrated system in a safe manner really reduces a lot of the stress.”
Of course, stigma is another gap, says Kamkar.
“We need to work on changing everyone else's attitude because
we can come up with the best plan and resource and benefits, but if I'm afraid of it, if I'm ashamed, I'm not going to get access to it.”
Another important challenge is workplace culture or DNA, says Ben-Eli.
“That's what we see as lacking the most in organizations — not taking the time to understand their own company’s scenario: What do my employees feel or know about mental health? What do the leadership team and supervisors/managers know about or how do they feel about mental health? What options are actually on the table? What do they have in place to support employees today? What is the utilization of health supports currently offered?”
Bridging the gaps
Asking employees about what they need is crucial, says Kerrigan.
“Employees will tell you if you ask them what they want.... [They want to hear] ‘How are you feeling? How is your mental health? Do you feel like you have the right supports? If you had a problem, would you know who to talk to within the organization? Is there anything that we can do from that?’”
It’s also about creating a safe space for employees, she says.
“My whole thing has always been about: How do I establish relationships in a work environment to make it where people want to come and, yes, do work, but not have all of the stress that can be in a workplace where there are positions of power and authority that come into play? So how do we start to create a more equal playing field?”
Companies need to evolve along with their employee base, says Ben-Eli. Years ago, it may have been about pool tables and eating well; later, it was about daycare and mortgage financing.
“There's every option under the sun out there. Companies need to simply do their homework to make sure that they speak to employees and check on them regularly. Don’t
wait – it's not a retirement fund that you need to let sit and wait 30 years; in health care you need to constantly reassess based on the current environment and look at new solutions.”
Along with providing training and support education so people can do their work, it’s important to have personal resources, says Kamkar.
“If I'm able to learn self-emotion skills, self-regulation skills, managing my own stress … the concept of coping flexibility, the concept of care … any of those personal resources, then we know it can help to boost my job resources and better cope with the work demands as well.”
It’s also about HR practices such as changes to workload and work hours, or job redesign, she says.
“Boosting a lot of those key protective factors which, in terms of employee autonomy, participation … provide a sense of psychological, personal/professional worthiness … are all very important terms of the organization level, and of course, access to resources and coverage and evidence-based treatment.”
Top work stressors
Volume of work
25%
TELUS Health is a leader in digital health technology, providing virtual care, home health monitoring, electronic medical and health records, benefits and pharmacy management, and personal emergency response services. By leveraging the power of technology to deliver connected solutions and services, TELUS Health is improving access to care and revolutionizing the flow of information while facilitating collaboration, efficiency, and productivity for physicians, pharmacists, health authorities, allied health care professionals, insurers, employers, and citizens, to progress its vision of transforming health care and empowering people to live healthier lives.
Through TELUS Health Care Centres, teams of renowned and passionate health care professionals deliver best-in-class patient-centric care to thousands of Canadian employers, professionals, and families in more than 15 medical clinics located across the country.
Find out more
Roee Ben-Eli has been a practicing registered nurse in the province of Quebec in various fields of the profession for over 20 years. Beginning his career on the front lines, Roee worked on the internal medicine ward and in the emergency room and then in operations management in community and private clinical spaces. Over the past decade, Roee has dived into program development in family medicine, specialty medicine, and psychiatry. As the director of mental health at EQ Care, acquired by TELUS Health in 2020, Roee spearheaded workplace initiatives and programs that bring mental health care to employees and their families. Currently, as the director of strategic programs at TELUS Health Virtual Care, Roee is focused on collaborating on and developing integrated and holistic care models into the vast TELUS Health ecosystem.
TELUS Health
Roee Ben-Eli
Cheryl Kerrigan is the chief people officer for BlueCat, where she is responsible for the overall people strategy, focusing on attracting, retaining, and inspiring top talent. Cheryl is passionate about creating a culture of employee success in which employees feel recognized and valued for the contributions they make.
With over 20 years of experience in global human resources, Cheryl is a seasoned HR executive who began her career as a recruiter focused on discovering exceptional talent. She then moved into several HR leadership roles as the initial HR resource in fast-emerging global technology companies such as Eloqua and Achievers, where she was responsible for building out the HR function.
Cheryl earned her honours bachelor’s degree from the University of Guelph and a postgraduate certificate in human resource management from Seneca College.
BlueCat Networks
Cheryl Kerrigan
Dr. Katy Kamkar, PhD, C Psych is a clinical psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto and assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Toronto. She is the executive director of the Canadian Association of Fire Investigators (CAFI) and chair of the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association Inc. (GLEPHA) Health and Wellness of Police/ First Responders. She is also past chair of the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Traumatic Stress Section, and the provincial mental health advisor for St. John Ambulance Ontario’s council.
Dr. Kamkar was awarded the 2022 Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) award for distinguished contributions to public or community service.
CAMH
Katy Kamkar
“It has put strain on the HR profession because you are expected to think about ‘What’s your wellness strategy? What’s your mental health strategy? What are you going to do about it?’”
Cheryl Kerrigan,
BlueCat Networks
“Don’t wait – it's not a retirement fund that you need to let sit and wait 30 years ... you need to constantly reassess and look at new health solutions”
Roee Ben-Eli,
TELUS Health
In Partnership with
Closing the gaps in mental health care
Employers and providers are working hard to support employees who are struggling – but better solutions are needed, say experts
Read on
Katy Kamkar
CAMH
Cheryl Kerrigan
BlueCat Networks
Roee Ben-Eli
TELUS Health
Industry experts
AT BLUECAT NETWORKS, massages are no longer the most popular benefit with employees. That’s been replaced by getting help from a mental health provider.
“There’s a cry for help, and as organizations, we need to be better at responding to that and really thinking about prevention, not just treatment,” says Cheryl Kerrigan, chief people officer.
“It has put strain on the HR profession because you are expected to think about ‘What’s your wellness strategy? What’s your mental health strategy? What are you going to do about it?’”
Kerrigan joined Roee Ben-Eli, RN, director of strategic programs at TELUS Health, and Dr. Katy Kamkar, clinical psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), at a recent round table looking into the issue of mental health and the workplace, hosted by Canadian HR Reporter and sponsored by TELUS Health.
During an insightful hour-long session, the three discussed the challenges for employers in offering supports with the rise of mental health issues and the gaps in care that are creating obstacles to wellness – along with providing solutions such as workplace training, empathetic leadership, and improved partnerships with providers.
In January, MPA held a roundtable discussion with four customer-owned banks: Heritage Bank, Beyond Bank, Teachers Mutual Bank Limited and Bank Australia. We were also joined by two brokers who use mutual banks for their clients’ business: Christopher Lee and David Merison.
As brokers such as these struggle with the greater scrutiny that has following the royal commission, customer-owned banks are stepping up to the plate, providing a service that highlights the value of human interaction. With questions around living expenses forcing a heavier workload on brokers, this personal touch can be vital.
During the roundtable, which took place at Otto restaurant in Sydney, the group discussed the unique value proposition that customer-owned banks offer, particularly with the lack of shareholders they have to cater for. While other
“The value proposition that mutual banks provide is getting some more attention,” he said. “We’ve known for a long time that the customer satisfaction that members get through mutual organisations is very high compared to the major banks. I think we’ve struggled to convert that into member growth, but more recently, with it being so front of mind with customers, it’s definitely starting to grow.”
Growth in the sector is giving the mutual banks their “time to shine”, said Beyond Bank head of third party Darren McLeod, adding that they had worked hard over the last two years on selling their proposition.
Referring to the previous year’s roundtable, when the catchphrase of the day was that the customer-owned banking sector was the industry’s “best-kept secret”, McLeod said, “I think that secret is finally getting out.”
“I don’t think we’re doing anything different,” he added. “We’re doing what we’ve always done, but there’s more customer uptake because the market’s in a place where people are now looking, and they’re willing to try it.”
Agreeing that the royal commission had had an effect on consumers heading to the mutual banks, Mark Middleton, head of third party at Teachers Mutual, said there was a growing groundswell. Not only were borrowers looking for alternative options but aggregators were adding more choice to their panels, he said.
Offering a different perspective, Middleton said consumers were becoming more aware of responsible lending and social responsibilities and asking about things like climate change. Teachers Mutual is not only carbon neutral but gives back around 6.8% of its net profits to community grants and other projects.
“It’s particularly topical right now, with the bushfires happening around the country, that people will start looking for who is doing things to make a difference, not just for this generation but future generations,” Middleton said.
“I think we’ve been actually ahead of the curve; no one’s been really aware of it, but the last 12 months it’s become more prevalent.”
Middleton also talked about the wider recognition the sector was receiving, as reflected in its high NPS scores.
“From all the mutuals around the table here, clearly when customers are being recommended by brokers to come to us, they’re voting with their feet,” he said.
McLeod agreed that a lot of the growth was coming out of the third party space.
“We’ve all been working hard in the broker space over the last couple of years as more brokers use customer-owned banks,” he said. “I think the growth is definitely in the broker channel and the work all of us have been doing in the business. The growth we’re talking about is definitely coming from brokers.”
Brokers have also been an important factor for Bank Australia. Senior relationship manager Fernando Lemos said the bank had been bolstering its support around the third party distribution space. He added that it was not only about diversification of products but also diversification of lenders, and this helped brokers cater for a wider client base.
“I think brokers are really starting to become aware of what we’re about and what we stand for,” Lemos said.
“There’s a marketing edge as well: they can go out there and promote themselves. They’re not just a line to a particular organisation; they can look after certain types of clients.”
Agreeing, McLeod added that the extra regulation, such as the caps on interest-only lending, had also had an effect on the sector.
“We all had to slow down for the caps,” he said. “But when it opened up, the brokers who used four lenders were now using a lot more, so it really gave us a chance because we’re in that larger group. So it’s really opened up the market, because it was so confusing in terms of who was doing what – who’s doing construction, who’s doing interest-only, who’s doing investment – so it’s opened up the market and it gives us a shot at getting the business."
One of two brokers joining the roundtable, David Merison from Vault Plus Mortgage and Finance Consultancy said the demographic of people looking to borrow money wanted choice, rather than relying on those who came straight out of the banks and were simply agents for those lender
“We’ve got to hold ourselves open and come up with some innovative solutions, and that means introducing some lenders they wouldn’t always think of,” he said.
Finsure Finance and Insurance broker Christopher Lee said his primary objective was to put the largest amount of money in his client’s pocket rather than the bank’s pocket, and the mutuals offered a cheaper alternative, as well as a more diverse product range.
Not just that but Lee simply enjoys dealing with the mutuals more.
Bridging the gaps
Asking employees about what they need is crucial, says Kerrigan.
“Employees will tell you if you ask them what they want.... [They want to hear] ‘How are you feeling? How is your mental health? Do you feel like you have the right supports? If you had a problem, would you know who to talk to within the organization? Is there anything that we can do from that?’”
It’s also about creating a safe space for employees, she says.
“My whole thing has always been about: How do I establish relationships in a work environment to make it where people want to come and, yes, do work, but not have all of the stress that can be in a workplace where there are positions of power and authority that come into play? So how do we start to create a more equal playing field?”
Companies need to evolve along with their employee base, says Ben-Eli. Years ago, it may have been about pool tables and eating well; later, it was about daycare and mortgage financing.
“There's every option under the sun out there. Companies need to simply do their homework to make sure that they speak to employees and check on them regularly. Don’t wait – it's not a retirement fund that you need to let sit and wait 30 years; in health care you need to constantly reassess based on the current environment and look at new solutions.”
TELUS Health is a leader in digital health technology, providing virtual care, home health monitoring, electronic medical and health records, benefits and pharmacy management, and personal emergency response services. By leveraging the power of technology to deliver connected solutions and services, TELUS Health is improving access to care and revolutionizing the flow of information while facilitating collaboration, efficiency, and productivity for physicians, pharmacists, health authorities, allied health care professionals, insurers, employers, and citizens, to progress its vision of transforming health care and empowering people to live healthier lives.
Through TELUS Health Care Centres, teams of renowned and passionate health care professionals deliver best-in-class patient-centric care to thousands of Canadian employers, professionals, and families in more than 15 medical clinics located across the country.
Find out more
Roee Ben-Eli has been a practicing registered nurse in the province of Quebec in various fields of the profession for over 20 years. Beginning his career on the front lines, Roee worked on the internal medicine ward and in the emergency room and then in operations management in community and private clinical spaces. Over the past decade, Roee has dived into program development in family medicine, specialty medicine, and psychiatry. As the director of mental health at EQ Care, acquired by TELUS Health in 2020, Roee spearheaded workplace initiatives and programs that bring mental health care to employees and their families. Currently, as the director of strategic programs at TELUS Health Virtual Care, Roee is focused on collaborating on and developing integrated and holistic care models into the vast TELUS Health ecosystem.
TELUS Health
Roee Ben-Eli
Cheryl Kerrigan is the chief people officer for BlueCat, where she is responsible for the overall people strategy, focusing on attracting, retaining, and inspiring top talent. Cheryl is passionate about creating a culture of employee success in which employees feel recognized and valued for the contributions they make.
With over 20 years of experience in global human resources, Cheryl is a seasoned HR executive who began her career as a recruiter focused on discovering exceptional talent. She then moved into several HR leadership roles as the initial HR resource in fast-emerging global technology companies such as Eloqua and Achievers, where she was responsible for building out the HR function.
Cheryl earned her honours bachelor’s degree from the University of Guelph and a postgraduate certificate in human resource management from Seneca College.
BlueCat Networks
Cheryl Kerrigan
Dr. Katy Kamkar, PhD, C Psych is a clinical psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto and assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Toronto. She is the executive director of the Canadian Association of Fire Investigators (CAFI) and chair of the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association Inc. (GLEPHA) Health and Wellness of Police/ First Responders. She is also past chair of the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Traumatic Stress Section, and the provincial mental health advisor for St. John Ambulance Ontario’s council.
Dr. Kamkar was awarded the 2022 Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) award
for distinguished contributions to public or community service.
CAMH
Katy Kamkar
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MFAA head credit adviser, Finsure Finance and Insurance
Christopher Lee
“It has put strain on the HR profession because you are expected to think about ‘What’s your wellness strategy? What’s your mental health strategy? What are you going to do about it?’”
Cheryl Kerrigan, BlueCat Networks
“Don’t wait – it's not a retirement fund that you need to let sit and wait 30 years ... you need to constantly reassess and look at new health solutions”
Roee Ben-Eli,
TELUS Health
In Partnership with
Closing the gaps in mental health care
Employers and providers are working hard to support employees who are struggling – but better solutions are needed, say experts
Read on
Katy Kamkar
CAMH
Cheryl Kerrigan
BlueCat Networks
Roee Ben-Eli
TELUS Health
Industry experts
AT BLUECAT NETWORKS, massages are no longer the most popular benefit with employees. That’s been replaced by getting help from a mental health provider.
“There’s a cry for help, and as organizations, we need to be better at responding to that and really thinking about prevention, not just treatment,” says Cheryl Kerrigan, chief people officer.
“It has put strain on the HR profession because you are expected to think about ‘What’s your wellness strategy? What’s your mental health strategy? What are you going to do about it?’”
Kerrigan joined Roee Ben-Eli, RN, director of strategic programs at TELUS Health, and Dr. Katy Kamkar, clinical psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), at a recent round table looking into the issue of mental health and the workplace, hosted by Canadian HR Reporter and sponsored by TELUS Health.
During an insightful hour-long session, the three discussed the challenges for employers in offering supports with the rise of mental health issues and the gaps in care that are creating obstacles to wellness – along with providing solutions such as workplace training, empathetic leadership, and improved partnerships with providers.
Evolving benefits
At BlueCat, benefits continue to evolve. The company has beefed up its mental health spending, along with providing wellness days, mental-health first-aid training, a mental health committee, training for leaders, mindfulness and meditation, wellness challenges, and lunch-and-learns.
“We're making it a part of our daily conversation,” says Kerrigan. “[It’s about] making it a part of who you are as an organization — your culture, your values — and putting programs into place to really support that.”
When it comes to mental health supports, employees are asking for more, but they don’t necessarily want to spend the money, says Ben-Eli.
“That's where EAP solutions and benefits management allow them to access care ... otherwise people wait until they can't deal with it anymore – then the expense becomes a necessity. But we want it to become an instinct and not get that far.”
In January, MPA held a roundtable discussion with four customer-owned banks: Heritage Bank, Beyond Bank, Teachers Mutual Bank Limited and Bank Australia. We were also joined by two brokers who use mutual banks for their clients’ business: Christopher Lee and David Merison.
As brokers such as these struggle with the greater scrutiny that has following the royal commission, customer-owned banks are stepping up to the plate, providing a service that highlights the value of human interaction. With questions around living expenses forcing a heavier workload on brokers, this personal touch can be vital.
During the roundtable, which took place at Otto restaurant in Sydney, the group discussed the unique value proposition that customer-owned banks offer, particularly with the lack of shareholders they have to cater for. While other
“The value proposition that mutual banks provide is getting some more attention,” he said. “We’ve known for a long time that the customer satisfaction that members get through mutual organisations is very high compared to the major banks. I think we’ve struggled to convert that into member growth, but more recently, with it being so front of mind with customers, it’s definitely starting to grow.”
Growth in the sector is giving the mutual banks their “time to shine”, said Beyond Bank head of third party Darren McLeod, adding that they had worked hard over the last two years on selling their proposition.
Referring to the previous year’s roundtable, when the catchphrase of the day was that the customer-owned banking sector was the industry’s “best-kept secret”, McLeod said, “I think that secret is finally getting out.”
“I don’t think we’re doing anything different,” he added. “We’re doing what we’ve always done, but there’s more customer uptake because the market’s in a place where people are now looking, and they’re willing to try it.”
Agreeing that the royal commission had had an effect on consumers heading to the mutual banks, Mark Middleton, head of third party at Teachers Mutual, said there was a growing groundswell. Not only were borrowers looking for alternative options but aggregators were adding more choice to their panels, he said.
Offering a different perspective, Middleton said consumers were becoming more aware of responsible lending and social responsibilities and asking about things like climate change. Teachers Mutual is not only carbon neutral but gives back around 6.8% of its net profits to community grants and other projects.
“It’s particularly topical right now, with the bushfires happening around the country, that people will start looking for who is doing things to make a difference, not just for this generation but future generations,” Middleton said.
“I think we’ve been actually ahead of the curve; no one’s been really aware of it, but the last 12 months it’s become more prevalent.”
Middleton also talked about the wider recognition the sector was receiving, as reflected in its high NPS scores.
“From all the mutuals around the table here, clearly when customers are being recommended by brokers to come to us, they’re voting with their feet,” he said.
McLeod agreed that a lot of the growth was coming out of the third party space.
“We’ve all been working hard in the broker space over the last couple of years as more brokers use customer-owned banks,” he said. “I think the growth is definitely in the broker channel and the work all of us have been doing in the business. The growth we’re talking about is definitely coming from brokers.”
Brokers have also been an important factor for Bank Australia. Senior relationship manager Fernando Lemos said the bank had been bolstering its support around the third party distribution space. He added that it was not only about diversification of products but also diversification of lenders, and this helped brokers cater for a wider client base.
“I think brokers are really starting to become aware of what we’re about and what we stand for,” Lemos said.
“There’s a marketing edge as well: they can go out there and promote themselves. They’re not just a line to a particular organisation; they can look after certain types of clients.”
Agreeing, McLeod added that the extra regulation, such as the caps on interest-only lending, had also had an effect on the sector.
“We all had to slow down for the caps,” he said. “But when it opened up, the brokers who used four lenders were now using a lot more, so it really gave us a chance because we’re in that larger group. So it’s really opened up the market, because it was so confusing in terms of who was doing what – who’s doing construction, who’s doing interest-only, who’s doing investment – so it’s opened up the market and it gives us a shot at getting the business."
One of two brokers joining the roundtable, David Merison from Vault Plus Mortgage and Finance Consultancy said the demographic of people looking to borrow money wanted choice, rather than relying on those who came straight out of the banks and were simply agents for those lender
“We’ve got to hold ourselves open and come up with some innovative solutions, and that means introducing some lenders they wouldn’t always think of,” he said.
Finsure Finance and Insurance broker Christopher Lee said his primary objective was to put the largest amount of money in his client’s pocket rather than the bank’s pocket, and the mutuals offered a cheaper alternative, as well as a more diverse product range.
Not just that but Lee simply enjoys dealing with the mutuals more.
“Boosting a lot of those key protective factors which, in terms of employee autonomy, participation … provide a sense of psychological, personal/professional worthiness … are all very important terms of the organization level, and of course, access to resources and coverage and evidence-based treatment.”
Also important is leadership, which is a big focus at BlueCat, especially with the whole empathy piece, says Kerrigan.
“It's not a one-time thing — it's part of our fabric as an organization that we are putting all of our leaders, all of our new leaders, whether they're coming into the organization or they've been promoted in the organization, through leadership training.”
A lot of employers don’t realize the importance of this side of the equation, says Ben-Eli.
“It's a lot of work,” he says. “This is new for leaders – this is not part of their skill set, they weren't trained to do this, they weren't trained to deal with it, they weren't trained to assess it. And this is a new skill that they have to acquire.”
TELUS Health is a leader in digital health technology, providing virtual care, home health monitoring, electronic medical and health records, benefits and pharmacy management, and personal emergency response services. By leveraging the power of technology to deliver connected solutions and services, TELUS Health is improving access to care and revolutionizing the flow of information while facilitating collaboration, efficiency, and productivity for physicians, pharmacists, health authorities, allied health care professionals, insurers, employers, and citizens, to progress its vision of transforming health care and empowering people to live healthier lives.
Through TELUS Health Care Centres, teams of renowned and passionate health care professionals deliver best-in-class patient-centric care to thousands of Canadian employers, professionals, and families in more than 15 medical clinics located across the country.
Find out more
Cheryl Kerrigan is the chief people officer for BlueCat, where she is responsible for the overall people strategy, focusing on attracting, retaining, and inspiring top talent. Cheryl is passionate about creating a culture of employee success in which employees feel recognized and valued for the contributions they make.
With over 20 years of experience in global human resources, Cheryl is a seasoned HR executive who began her career as a recruiter focused on discovering exceptional talent. She then moved into several HR leadership roles as the initial HR resource in fast-emerging global technology companies such as Eloqua and Achievers, where she was responsible for building out the HR function.
Cheryl earned her honours bachelor’s degree from the University of Guelph and a postgraduate certificate in human resource management from Seneca College.
BlueCat Networks
Cheryl Kerrigan
Dr. Katy Kamkar, PhD, C Psych is a clinical psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto and assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Toronto. She is the executive director of the Canadian Association of Fire Investigators (CAFI) and chair of the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association Inc. (GLEPHA) Health and Wellness of Police/ First Responders. She is also past chair of the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Traumatic Stress Section, and the provincial mental health advisor for St. John Ambulance Ontario’s council.
Dr. Kamkar was awarded the 2022 Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) award for distinguished contributions to public of community service.
CAMH
Katy Kamkar
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Roee Ben-Eli has been a practicing registered nurse in the province of Quebec in various fields of the profession for over 20 years. Beginning his career on the front lines, Roee worked on the internal medicine ward and in the emergency room and then in operations management in community and private clinical spaces. Over the past decade, Roee has dived into program development in family medicine, specialty medicine, and psychiatry. As the director of mental health at EQ Care, acquired by TELUS Health in 2020, Roee spearheaded workplace initiatives and programs that bring mental health care to employees and their families. Currently, as the director of strategic programs at TELUS Health Virtual Care, Roee is focused on collaborating on and developing integrated and holistic care models into the vast TELUS Health ecosystem.
TELUS Health
Roee Ben-Eli
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Performance demands
14%
Lack of
support
12%
Difficulty sleeping
31%
An inability
to relax
28%
Emotional changes such
as anxiety and depression
27%
Top personal stressors
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Source: LifeWorks/Telus Health
Source: LifeWorks/Telus Health
Flexibility
33%
The most important ways workers say employers can support their mental health
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Making them feel more valued
20%
Empathy
17%
Free access to resources and services to help with mental health
14%
Dealing with conflict
in the workplace
10%
Also important is leadership, which is a big focus at BlueCat, especially with the whole empathy piece, says Kerrigan.
“It's not a one-time thing — it's part of our fabric as an organization that we are putting all of our leaders, all of our new leaders, whether they're coming into the organization or they've been promoted in the organization, through leadership training.”
A lot of employers don’t realize the importance of this side of the equation, says Ben-Eli.
“It's a lot of work,” he says. “This is new for leaders – this is not part of their skill set, they weren't trained to do this, they weren't trained to deal with it, they weren't trained to assess it. And this is a new skill that they have to acquire.”
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“We need to work on changing everyone else's attitude because we can come up with the best plan and resource and benefits, but if I'm afraid of it, if I'm ashamed, I'm not going to get access to it”
Katy Kamkar,
CAMH
Along with providing training and support education so people can do their work, it’s important to have personal resources, says Kamkar.
“If I'm able to learn self-emotion skills, self-regulation skills, managing my own stress … the concept of coping flexibility, the concept of care … any of those personal resources, then we know it can help to boost my job resources and better cope with the work demands as well.”
It’s also about HR practices such as changes to workload and work hours, or job redesign, she says.
“Boosting a lot of those key protective factors which, in terms of employee autonomy, participation … provide a sense of psychological, personal/professional worthiness … are all very important terms of the organization level, and of course, access to resources and coverage and evidence-based treatment.”
Also important is leadership, which is a big focus at BlueCat, especially with the whole empathy piece, says Kerrigan.
“It's not a one-time thing — it's part of our fabric as an organization that we are putting all of our leaders, all of our new leaders, whether they're coming into the organization or they've been promoted in the organization, through leadership training.”
A lot of employers don’t realize the importance of this side of the equation, says Ben-Eli.
“It's a lot of work,” he says. “This is new for leaders – this is not part of their skill set, they weren't trained to do this, they weren't trained to deal with it, they weren't trained to assess it. And this is a new skill that they have to acquire.”
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“We need to work on changing everyone else's attitude because we can come up with the best plan and resource and benefits, but if I'm afraid of it, if I'm ashamed, I'm not going to get access to it”
Katy Kamkar,
CAMH
Copyright © 2022 Key Media
RSS
Advisory board
Authors
Enquiry
About us
Terms of Use
External contributors
Privacy
Contact us
Advertise
Newsletter
News
Focus Areas
EMPLOYMENT LAW
LABOUR
Resources
Best in HR
Subscribe