Workplace mental health series in Sudbury focuses on impact of COVID-19

Sudbury -

Workplace Safety North has launched seven free online talks about workplace mental health and opening up the conversation.

The series includes talks on stigma, how to initiate a mental health talk and some of the impacts of COVID-19 on workplaces and people.

Officials at Work Place Safety North said it's designed to break down stigma and open up conversations.

"It’s a video series that was designed to make sure that mental health conversations could happen in any workplace," said Angele Poitras, of Workplace Safety North.

"So workplaces that were remote, workplaces that operated beyond the hours of 9-5 or small businesses."

Officials said the pandemic may have added to stress and anxiety for many reasons including feelings of isolation.

"About three years ago, we saw this as an emerging issue and we started to upscale some of our team members and build programs accordingly," said Mike Parent. "The pandemic certainly added fuel to the fire."

"Some of the topics are COVID and Me, which is very, very timely," said Poitras.

"It talks about stress in that particular video. We have stamping out stigma and how we become ambassadors to stamp out stigma and eradicate it because that is one of the key things we need to do when we converse around mental health."