ATB presents One Step Better: National Depression Screening Day

Mental Health at ATB

At ATB we are proud advocates for mental health for team members, clients and the community. We are committed to making sure we build an inclusive environment and place of belonging where team members can do their best work and acknowledging that we all have a role to play, whether we are experiencing a mental health issue or if someone we know in our home, workplace or community is, we try to build resiliency skills at all levels.

In our current environment, clients expect companies to be a dependable provider and reliable source of information, and they also expect them to be visionary, problem-solvers and a positive force in shaping our society. ATB is in business for the greater good and our commitment to mental health is part of that effort. We know that to make that possible, we need to recognize that each person is unique, that their experience and resilience led them to show up with tremendous energy and passion for what they do for our clients and our organization.

As a purpose-driven organization, ATB is dedicated to creating a psychologically safe workplace for our 5,000 team members - it is one of our founding principles within our organization. As we serve 800,000 consumer and business clients, 245 communities in Alberta, we have an opportunity to be role models. We need to help break down the barriers and reduce the stigma around mental illness. We must courageously talk about these important issues, and collectively raise the overall wellbeing of Albertans.

Strategic Connections

There are 2 key strategic connections for ATB to mental health; our ATB ID called “Champions of Belonging.”

Meaning we:

• Build psychological safety.
• Check in with those around us.
• Build safe and equitable spaces.
• Bring our whole selves to work.

And our "Commitment to Team Members - Thrive Together."

We believe our strength comes from the unique abilities and perspectives we each bring to the table. We’re working to foster an inclusive workplace and deliver flexible programs that enable you to thrive (like our employee and family assistance program, our Team Member Networks, and more).

How does being a presenting sponsor for One Step Better: National Depression Screening Day fit with ATB’s employee mental health and wellness strategy?

We are committed to creating an environment our team members can thrive in. That means enabling access to programs that we offer internally and supporting broad access programs like National Depression Screening Day (NDSD) that are easy to use, accessible, equitable and effective. In addition to being part of sponsorships like NDSD we provide team members several ways to invest in their wellness:

• Learn more using the ATB Total Health & Wellness Resource Toolkit.
• Participate in The Working Mind training for managers and team members.
• Share thoughts and stories in the Total Health & Wellness channel.
• Participate in wellness events.
• Be part of the Mental Health Action Team, our mental health focused Team Member Network.

Digital opportunities like NDSD make it easier for team members to access support for mental health. We believe that we’re becoming used to a more digital society, so using this tool makes sense. We already do lots of work through digital channels so it’s something many of our team members are used to and prefer. It also allows more instant understanding of personal risks for depression and access to support and resources.

We’ve created a culture where team members understand mental health is important and that they can ask for and find help, easy to use, barrier free tools are key bringing that to life.

As a financial institution, we’ve always been proud to wholly support mental health. We were pioneers in the mental health space when we launched our strategy 11 years ago. We’ve been working with the Calgary Counselling Centre and the NDSD program for over 6 years. We know that the first point of contact when it comes to mental health, can be laden with barriers, the NDSD can seem easier for first time users. You don’t have to tell anyone you are taking the test, you do it, you get the results, you take action.

Beyond NDSD and the results we can see from the effort, we measure a number of cultural metrics quarterly, including how team members are thriving in managing work/life balance, stress and other factors. While we don’t tie mental health to productivity, by paying close attention to trends, adjusting where needed and continuing to fulfill our commitments to team members we are better equipping our organization to identify and manage mental health issues BEFORE they impact productivity.

We know that these offerings are having a positive impact on time away from work which has a huge impact on productivity. Sick leave, short term disability etc. We are seeing a decline in short term disability related to mental health. Mental health cases accounted for 28% in 2019, 25% in 2020, 35% in 2021 and 19% in 2022. 2021 would be the COVID period and that would be an outlier.

Our ultimate goal, however, is to destigmatize mental health. It feels like we’re getting there when team members are comfortable disclosing that they are struggling with mental health issues and that they know that will be accepted.

About ATB Financial

With $58.3 billion in assets, ATB Financial is a leading financial institution that started in Alberta with the focus of putting people first. Our success comes from our more than 5,000 team members who love to deliver exceptional experiences to over 800,000 clients across our Personal and Business Banking, ATB Wealth Management and ATB Capital Markets businesses. ATB provides expert advice, services and products through our many branches and agencies, our 24-hour Client Care Centre, four entrepreneur centres and our digital banking options. ATB powers possibilities for our clients, communities and beyond. More information about ATB can be found at atb.com.

Want to join ATB as a sponsor at one of our events? Contact sponsorships@calgarychamber.comfor more information.