LET'S TALK

Mental Health

Magna stood out as an industry leader with the Smart Start Playbook that protected the physical health and safety of employees after the COVID-19 lockdown.

“We’ve done a great job remaining safe, operational and focused on virus containment and prevention,” said Kelly Harbridge, Magna’s vice president of people. “But we need to do more. The mental health burden is the unseen pandemic. We’re all facing it and we’re all feeling it.”

COVID-19 has impacted all of our lives with concerns ranging from physical safety and health care to disruptions with employment and homelife. “The pandemic has created emotional baggage for all of us, both at home and at work, and has left us all with fewer options to cope with these pressures.”

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Kelly Harbridge, Magna’s vice president of people and his family

We will also remind our front-line leaders that they need to go the extra mile and find creative ways of connecting with people in this unique time. We may all feel isolated, but as part of the Magna family, nobody is alone. We all have a role to play in supporting one another.

The Harbridge family is not immune to the emotional challenges of the pandemic.

“My wife Michelle is a second-grade teacher who is teaching remotely and using our kitchen as a classroom,” Harbridge said. “My three boys, Noah, Matthew and Benjamin are hockey players who are waiting with bated breath over whether they can launch hockey season. My 17-year-old son got emotional a few weeks ago. He said, ‘I should be planning to go to prom. I haven’t done college tours. I haven’t seen friends in a year.’”

Harbridge’s advice to his son: “It’s okay to feel emotions about what we’ve lost in our personal lives. Talking about these issues is the first step to coping with your feelings and getting help.”

His advice to Magna employees: “It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help and support. We all need that now, and we’ve got programs in place to help. Our traditional workplace relationships and daily communication with one another have become harder with social distancing and remote work. The lack of daily touchpoints has made it more difficult to identify coworkers who may be struggling and in need of potential help. It’s important for us to reach out to one another. Ask a coworker “how are you doing – is everything okay?” Asking that simple question is often the first step to supporting someone in need.”

Kelly Harbridge, and his European team

Raising awareness about Magna’s Employee Family Assistance Programs, which are offered in 24 countries, is a first step. Employees will be provided with information on how to access mental-health programs and services that were put in place before the pandemic.

“We will also remind our front-line leaders that they need to go the extra mile and find creative ways of connecting with people in this unique time,” Harbridge said. “We may all feel isolated, but as part of the Magna family, nobody is alone. We all have a role to play in supporting one another.”

At Magna, through the Employee’s Charter, we are committed to creating a safe and healthful workplace for all our employees globally.

We offer support, services and tools for our employees to help support and maintain a psychologically healthy work environment. Magna’s Employee Family Assistance Programs (EFAP) is a free, confidential and anonymous program which offers short-term counselling and support related to a wide variety of issues including:

-relationship issues

-anxiety

-stress management

-grief and bereavement

-work-life balance

-parenting

-substance use

-work-related problems

-childcare and eldercare

-nutrition

-career planning

-financial and legal consultation