Legislative Requirements for Mental Health Support in Workplace and Condominium Operations
Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act recognizes the importance of mental health in the workplace, including psychosocial hazards such as stress, harassment, and workplace violence.
Employer and Manager Responsibilities:
Provide a safe and healthy work environment, which includes addressing mental health concerns.
Prevent and mitigate psychological hazards, including stress and harassment.
Ensure proper training and awareness for employees and board members regarding mental health support.
Employee and Board Member Rights:
Employees and board members have the right to a psychologically safe work environment.
Mental health complaints must be taken seriously and addressed promptly.
Relevant Mental Health Legislation:
Alberta Human Rights Act: Prohibits discrimination based on mental or physical disabilities.
Occupational Health and Safety Code: Recognizes stress, harassment, and workplace bullying as workplace hazards.
Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) Alberta: Provides coverage for mental health injuries resulting from workplace conditions.
Recognizing Psychosocial Hazards in Condominium Operations
Psychosocial hazards impact mental well-being and contribute to burnout, stress, and workplace dissatisfaction.
Common psychosocial hazards in condominium management include:
Workplace bullying and harassment: Conflicts between employees, board members, or residents.
High-stress environments: Unreasonable workload, aggressive owners, or unrealistic board expectations.
Poor conflict resolution mechanisms: Lack of proper channels to address grievances.
Lack of mental health awareness: Failure to recognize and address stress-related concerns.
How Condominium Managers Can Respond to Mental Health Concerns
As frontline professionals, condominium managers must be proactive in creating a mentally healthy environment for employees, board members, and residents.
Establish Clear Mental Health Policies:
Ensure the condominium corporation has a policy addressing workplace mental health.
Set up a confidential reporting system for stress, harassment, and workplace bullying.
Encourage Open Dialogue:
Promote mental health awareness sessions for employees and board members.
Normalize discussions around workplace stress and psychological safety.
Implement Conflict Resolution Strategies:
Mediation and structured conflict resolution processes should be in place.
Provide training on de-escalation techniques for handling difficult board members and owners.
Refer to Mental Health Resources:
Managers should be familiar with local mental health support services such as:
Alberta Mental Health Helpline (1-877-303-2642)
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) support for condominium communities.
Board Member Burnout
Scenario:
A long-serving board member has become visibly frustrated, missing meetings, and making emotional outbursts during discussions. Other board members feel uncomfortable, and unit owners are concerned about their ability to make rational decisions. The condominium manager is asked to intervene.
Task:
Identify the psychosocial hazards contributing to this situation.
Evaluate the condominium board’s role in ensuring psychological safety.
Propose a solution that aligns with mental health best practices, including:
Mental health support resources.
Conflict resolution strategies.
Policy improvements for board member well-being.
