The Fédération des travailleurs et des travailleuses du Québec (FTQ) has announced the launch of a new French web series on psychosocial hazards in the workplace. Through worker testimonials, Ça va mal à’shop’s eight episodes delve into concrete issues and propose solutions to tackle problems at their root. The FTQ hopes this initiative will push workplaces to start open conversations about mental health at work.
“There’s a saying that work is health, but the opposite is true for many people,” explains FTQ president Daniel Boyer. “Each week in Canada, more than 500,000 workers don’t show up to work due to mental health issues. That’s not insignificant. Unfortunately, this topic remains severely underdiscussed in the workplace. Sure, there are mental health awareness campaigns, and employers love dispensing advice on the importance of a healthier lifestyle. But what do you do when the work itself is making you sick, when you’re under too much pressure, when metrics are unattainable, when the environment is toxic?”
“This web series aims to demystify psychosocial hazards in the workplace and relieve distressed workers of the sense that they are personally responsible. It’s silly to think that a daily walk will somehow offset the negative effects of a toxic or oppressive workplace! We need to completely rethink how work is organized in these environments, and that’s what we want to set in motion with this series. People shouldn’t suffer at work, and it’s important to emphasize that,” Daniel Boyer adds.
Ça va mal à’shop isn’t just a web series: it’s an online platform that offers tools and even a survey for assessing your exposure to psychosocial hazards in the workplace. The FTQ is also taking advantage of the new interim OHS regime to remind employers that they’re responsible for eliminating psychosocial hazards in the workplace and that workers must take part in that process.
Check out the new series and its platform at www.cavamalashop.com