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Edition #5

(PDF Version, 376 KB)

Has working from home without access to the departmental network left you feeling isolated?

Have no fear, eLearning@ESDC is here!

With Mental Health learning opportunities to help you feel connected and support your well-being!

This special edition of eLearning@ESDC is brought to you by eLearning@ESDC

eLearning@ESDC

Many ESDC employees are working off of the departmental network and outside of their normal workplace as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. If you are one of these employees, you may have experienced a big shift in your daily routine and in your regular way of working.

On top of all this, working from home, attending meetings virtually and maintaining the necessary social distance may leave you feeling isolated. With all of these sudden and abrupt changes, it is normal to feel confused, frustrated or even a bit (or a lot!) stressed.

Mental Health Week is May 4-10, 2020 and ESDC is more committed than ever to keeping people connected; it is in times like these that we need each other most. Workplace Well- Being continues to be both a departmental priority and an ESDC learning priority - so, during Mental Health Week, let’s #GetReal about how we really feel.

Could you benefit from some Mental Health learning opportunities or resources? Have no fear because eLearning@ESDC is here! Don’t forget to share this bulletin with your colleagues, so that they, too, can participate in this week’s Mental Health learning activity recommendations.

Did You Know?

There are 4 key factors that influence our overall workplace wellness? Here they are!

According to the 2019 Mental Health in the Workplace Survey, the 4 key factors that influence our levels of workplace wellness are as follows:

  1. Feeling a sense of control over one’s work (autonomy)
  2. Feeling competent in one’s work
  3. Finding meaningful work
  4. Feel a connection (social affiliation) with colleagues

Do you feel like these influential factors have been affected by the recent health crisis? If so, keep on reading to discover this week’s Mental Health learning recommendations.

This Week's Top 5

To support you in navigating our new reality, we’ve packaged some of the most relevant and meaningful Mental Health learning opportunities and resources below. Check out this week’s top 5 recommendations:

  1. May 5, 2020: Power Chat on COVID-19 and Mental Health in the Workplace Webinars co-hosted by the Centre of Expertise on Mental Health in the Workplace and the Canada School of Public Service (available outside of the departmental network)
  2. Be Happy First: Breakthrough Performance In Times Of Change (Online, self-paced learning from ESDC)
  3. A 5-Day Mental Health Challenge for public servants from the Centre of Expertise on Mental Health in the Workplace to take action by connecting with colleagues, friends and family members
  4. Staying balanced in a shifting world (Online, self-paced learning from CSPS)
  5. iResilience: Prepare for and manage technological change (Online, self-paced learning from ESDC)

Looking For More Learning?

Managers have an important role to play in fostering a workplace that promotes mental well-being, inclusivity and open communication. Working in an entirely virtual setting may present additional challenges.

Check out these Mental Health learning offerings, recommended specifically for Managers and Team Leaders, that provide strategies for how to maintain a healthy workspace for you - and for your team.

  1. Mental Health: Communication Strategies (Online, self-paced learning from CSPS)
  2. Building Significant Relationships with your Employees to Promote Psychological Health (Online, self-paced learning from ESDC)

Guess What?

LifeSpeak is hosting a Mental Health Marathon, where you are able to anonymously submit your own mental health questions and have them answered from a leading expert in real time!

As an ESDC employee, you have access to this virtual event, as well as all the tools and resources LifeSpeak has to offer. Here’s how to get started:

  1. Visit the LifeSpeak website (available outside of the departmental network)
  2. Select the “Access through group account” option
  3. Enter “Employment and Social Development Canada” as your department; do not use abbreviations
  4. If you require the ESDC’s LifeSpeak password, visit our internal LifeSpeak iService page or send an email to EDSC.SMMT-WMH.ESDC@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
  5. Start your learning!

On a Personal Note...

This special edition bulletin was co-developed by the College@ESDC and the Staying Connected initiative.

ESDC launched the Staying Connected strategy to help teams and employees - whether or not they provide essential services - feel involved, mobilized and empowered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Doing whatever we can to help keep employees connected, informed, engaged and motivated in our virtual work environment is a commitment from both our departmental leaders and HRSB.

Another way to stay connected with your colleagues - and with Canadians across the country - is by partaking in the open and honest discussion about mental health on Twitter. Follow the Canadian Mental Health Association at @CMHA_NTL and use the hashtag #GetReal to be a part of the conversation!

We hope that this week’s learning recommendations are helpful and meaningful to you.

If you have any questions, the best way to reach the College@ESDC is to send an email to NC-COLLEGE-GD@servicecanada.gc.ca.