Mental health

Race is a key factor in a person’s psychological well-being. Therefore, CEFN calls on the government to recognize the impact of systemic racism and individual acts of racism on the stress and anxiety of people of color:

  • by raising awareness and providing training so that management is better equipped to take action against all forms of racism, including microaggressions in the workplace;
  • collecting disaggregated data (e.g. number of people who self-identify or are of African descent using the Employee Assistance Program or using sick leave) to better understand the use of mental health services and identify opportunities to improve access, and producing related reports.

These objectives are consistent with the recommendations recently published by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in its latest report on systemic racism entitled “Acting against systemic racism and religious discrimination, including Islamophobia“, which noted the need to improve awareness and training on racism within the federal public service.