This text is part of the special Syndicalism booklet
“It’s going badly at ‘shop”, “Pousse, but pushes equal”, “It takes all my little changes”, “Don’t let go of the potato”, these expressions well from here, we hear them and often use them in reference to the world of work, to the load demanded, to the pressure felt. These are also the episode titles of It’s going badly to’shopa new web series on psychosocial risks in the workplace launched by the Quebec Federation of Labor (FTQ) as part of Mental Health Week.
“We often hear that work is health! In fact, for many, it’s the opposite,” says Daniel Boyer, president of the FTQ. Indeed, every week, more than 500,000 workers miss work across the country due to mental health issues.
“The pandemic has amplified the situation, but it was already a problem before, he notes. We’ve been wondering about the increase in psychological illnesses for 20 or 30 years. »
This is what prompted the FTQ to create the web series It’s going badly to’shop, available online now. Through testimonials from workers and experts, the eight short episodes of the series address concrete problems, expose situations experienced by those who confide in the camera, and propose solutions to remedy the problems.
“We wonder in this series if it is normal that work makes us sick, explains the president of the FTQ. Psychosocial risks are invisible, silent. It’s not like breaking an arm or a leg, it’s sneaky and hidden. People also avoid talking about it, often feeling weaker when they see that they can’t do it. That’s why it’s important to talk about it. »
When we talk about psychosocial risks, we are referring in particular to overwork, excessive demands, a lack of recognition, precarious jobs, and a toxic work environment. “It affects everyone, all sectors, men and women, but more women, because there are many of them in the service sector,” says Mr. Boyer.
“It’s simplistic to think that it only takes one walk a day to be indifferent to a toxic or oppressive job! underlines Daniel Boyer, while the burden of well-being at work is often placed on the shoulders of workers. According to the FTQ, the organization of work must be completely reviewed. “To achieve this, workers must be involved in the prevention of these situations in the workplace,” he adds. In order to make the necessary fixes so that fewer people fall in battle. »
With its web series, the FTQ hopes to encourage workplaces to engage in discussions without taboos on the subject. A web universe in which various tools are offered as well as a survey allowing people to question themselves about their own psychosocial risks in the workplace accompany the series on the platform.
And if we can take advantage of the pandemic, it may be that it will be able to push employers to act more quickly, to find ways to watch over the mental health of their employees. “I think the current situation can make employers more aware of the importance of taking care of their workforce,” says Mr. Boyer. I’m not saying they didn’t take care of it before, but they took it for granted. Employers who turn a deaf ear will lose their workforce. »
A step in the right direction
The FTQ is offering this web series at the time when the interim regime of prevention and participation mechanisms comes into force, which aims to increase the management of health and safety by the workplaces.
“We would have liked the project to have had more bite, but it’s a start,” says Mr. Boyer. All workplaces must have a prevention mechanism since April 6. We want to get more resources, but we’ve taken a small step, and we haven’t finished talking about it! »
The FTQ is taking advantage of Mental Health Week, from May 2 to 8, to officially launch the web series during a face-to-face activity that will take place on May 5. The Minister of Labor, Jean Boulet, as well as the President and CEO of the Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST), Manuelle Oudar, will be present, among others.