Bringing awareness to Mental Health in North America

At Nortal Americas, we see our people’s mental health and safety as a major key to ongoing success. The subject of mental health transcends one specific day, week, or month and as a global company, we are constantly building and shaping what we can offer our team and incorporating feedback from our people into the solutions. We’ve seen the value of making this a part of our culture because there is strength in knowing that you’re not alone.

“Positive mental health is foundational to our overall well-being and sense of self-worth. Our leadership team at Nortal takes it upon ourselves to ensure we are not only establishing practices in the workplace that promote self-care but also leading by example.” – Alain Dias, CEO, Nortal Americas

Benefits and initiatives at Nortal Americas take on many forms. An initiative we began at the start of 2023 was our new #healthyselfie challenge. Everyone’s journey to mental and physical health and wellness looks different and we wanted to take a holistic approach to uplift one another. Championed by our Events Team the #healthyselfie challenge has become a Nortal staple. As a remote-first company, it has really taken off as a way for us to stay connected and encourage each other. The feeling that we belong is such a vital piece of overall mental health.

“The idea of the #healthyselfie challenge is to celebrate everyone’s success. Health and wellness look different to every individual and being celebrated by your team makes that success feel recognized. The inclusivity of it also allows everyone to feel like they can participate. An added bonus for our remote-first company is it allows us to connect in a way that we weren’t before. Learning about people’s interests and seeing where they spend their days helps to create a dimension to remote work that can’t be manufactured.” – Amanda Britain, Office Manager and Events Lead, Nortal Americas

New mental health initative each week

In February, Nortal Global brought attention and support to mental health by having an internal Mental Health Month initiative with a new focus dedicated to each week. We are spread out between many regions and time zones, so each session was recorded, and some had multiple time slots, so people had more chances to attend live as a community.

More than just benefits

We are also keen to include comprehensive benefits to our team outside of the usual medical insurance coverage. With options like Navia Wellness Program, they have the flexibility to use different methods of care beyond what insurance covers. We want to encourage them to utilize this wellness program, so wealso provide a Wellness Spending account that is funded by Nortal annually. Having this alongside our other Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) broadens the scope of care they can access so they can reach their full potential in and outside of work. We recognize that while all of these are powerful tools and ways to promote safe working and positive mental health the biggest contribution is creating an environment of open communication.

Everyone should be able to go to their manager, HR representative, or even just a teammate if they are feeling overwhelmed. If for some reason one of those options doesn’t feel right for an employee, we have two Wellness Ambassadors. Both have completed and been certified in an internationally recognized Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course designed to break the stigma associated with mental health and to equip participants with tools and resources to identify, understand, and respond appropriately to someone that might be struggling with their mental health. While they are not licensed therapists, they are skilled sounding boards and can help guide colleagues toward the right steps when they need them. All conversations are kept confidential, and our team can reach out to them, anytime, either online or in person.

Destigmatizing mental health in the workplace

The call to destigmatize mental health in the workplace is one that can’t be ignored.At Nortal, we believe it comes from the culture of the company which starts at the topwith our leadership. We urge all our employees to seek out the resources available andto bring us their feedback to make these benefits as inclusive as possible. Helping others achieve positive mental health can begin a cascade effect that benefits us all,and we are obligated to help them get there.