BlueCat named Best Workplace for Mental Wellness for second year in a row

There’s nothing like a global pandemic to highlight the importance of mental wellness.  When everyone is drawing on their reservoirs of inner strength, it’s more important than ever to build each other up in the workplace, make time for ourselves, and be alert to the signs that someone needs help.

Now more than ever, BlueCat is proud to say that it is on the 2020 list of Best Workplaces for Mental Wellness.  This is the second year in a row that we’ve won this honor, which comes after a thorough and independent analysis conducted by Great Place to Work®.

It’s fair to say that BlueCat was into mental wellness for quite some time.

We’ve made a conscious, long-term effort to provide ample mental wellness resources and support for our workforce.  For example:

• BlueCat holds regular training sessions around identifying and responding to mental wellness issues in the workplace. We know that spotting the signs of mental wellness challenges is the first step in helping our colleagues avoid more serious issues down the road.
• BlueCat is an active member of Not Myself Today, an organization dedicated to reducing the stigma around discussing mental health. We use their resources to provide training and wellness sessions throughout the year.
• We also promote mental wellness through workplace programs like regular mindfulness sessions, team building activities, and break times throughout the day – all designed to put some distance between work day cares and the rest of our lives.
• Eight BlueCat employees have been certified in Mental Health First Aid by the Mental Health Commission of Canada. They run lunch-and-learns throughout the year tackling different topics from mood disorders to managing holiday stress.
• Our Mental Health First Aid team recently held an interactive webinar on how to manage anxiety and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Our BlueCat Learning portal has courses on managing stress, mindfulness, self care, and building resilience.

BlueCat’s culture code helps to form the high-level strategy for mental wellness efforts as well.  In particular, our focus on showing vulnerability helps to create a workplace where everyone can feel comfortable sharing more about themselves – the first step in creating the resilient, interconnected workplace we all need.  Being approachable and responsive – another culture code element – also helps us to respond to mental health issues before they spiral out of control.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has us laser focused on mental health like never before, we know that this is a marathon, not a sprint.  Long after this is done, we’ll still need strong tools to deal with mental health and a workplace culture that prioritizes resilience.  We’re excited about receiving this award, and look forward to maintaining our focus on mental wellness at BlueCat for many years to come.