How employers can support employee mental health

In today’s modern workplaces, supporting mental health is no longer a “nice to have”—it’s essential. When employees feel supported, they are more engaged, more productive and more likely to stay. For employers in New Brunswick, creating a mentally healthy workplace is also about showing compassion and strengthening communities.

In honour of Healthy Workplace Month this October, we’re sharing some meaningful ways managers and employers can support employee mental health, along with resources available right here in New Brunswick.

1. Foster open conversations

When leaders speak openly about mental health, it helps reduce stigma and makes employees feel safer sharing their own experiences. Simply acknowledging that stress, burnout or anxiety are common can go a long way in building trust. Remind your team that it’s okay to ask for help and model this by setting healthy boundaries yourself.

2. Provide flexibility where possible

Not every role can be remote or hybrid, but small adjustments—such as flexible start times, mental health days or wellness breaks—can make employees feel valued and reduce stress.

3. Train managers to recognize signs of distress

Supervisors are often the first to notice when someone is struggling. Training managers to recognize early signs—like withdrawal, irritability or changes in performance—helps ensure support comes sooner rather than later.

Workplace Strategies for Mental Health (from Canada Life) offers free, evidence-based tools and customizable resources to help Canadian employers and employees build psychologically safe workplaces.

4. Create clear pathways to support

Employees should know what supports are available and how to access them without fear of judgment. This might include Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), community counselling or crisis lines. Local resources for New Brunswick employees include:

• Just Us: A non-profit mental health organization that offers free and low-cost counselling, as well as workplace workshops for managers and teams to build mental health awareness and resilience.

• 988 Suicide Crisis Helpline: Available 24/7 across Canada, including New Brunswick, for anyone in immediate crisis.

• Talk Suicide Canada (online chat support) – talksuicide.ca: Provides real-time support and resources for anyone in crisis.

• Mobile Crisis Units (where available)
  Some regions in New Brunswick, including Saint John and Fredericton, have mobile crisis response teams. These teams include mental health professionals who can provide on-site support in urgent situations. Contact your local hospital or regional health authority for details. Find your local mobile crisis unit here.

• Post-Secondary Campus Wellness Services: For student employees, campuses like UNB, STU, and NBCC provide mental health resources.

5. Bring in mental health workshops

Sometimes the best step is to create space for learning together. Facilitated workshops give teams the tools to communicate more effectively, support one another, and understand mental health in the workplace.

Just Us counselling provides customized, low-cost training and workshops designed to equip managers and employees with practical tools and strategies to better understand and support mental health in the workplace.

Our team can partner with your organization to deliver workshops tailored to your workplace. These sessions can focus on reducing stigma, building resilience, and equipping managers with the skills they need to support their staff.

Conclusion

Every workplace is different, but the commitment to supporting employee mental health should be universal. By fostering open dialogue, providing resources and making proactive changes, employers in New Brunswick can help their teams feel seen, supported and strong.

If your workplace is interested in learning more, contact us to talk about how we can support you with counselling or a customized workshop.