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9 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,M arch 4,2021 insidehalton.com limited time onlylimited time onlyFREE DELIVERY IS A LIMITED TIME OFFER.SOME RESTRICTIONS APPLY. NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED 2423 TRAFALGAR RD. OAKVILLE (905) 257-7878 Oakville MPP Stephen Craw- ford's recent column 'Time to rec- ognize Oakville's place in black history' is atrocious. It really says more about white people than Black people. It plays into the trope of Canadians being the good little boy scouts who come to the rescue of the poor, helpless Black people. And one might also be tempted to think from reading the column that there were no Black people in Oakville prior to the time when they fled the U.S. to shortly after emancipation in the U.S. Furthermore, Crawford states that it's important to know Black culture, but doesn't say anything about Black culture. He obviously doesn't know any- thing about Black culture beyond this small timeframe in history. How could you publish something so shallow and tone deaf ? NATHAN MEDCALF BURLINGTON BLACK HISTORY COLUMN SHALLOW AND TONE DEAF While working from home has become a new way of life for many, it has likely not been a smooth transition for everyone. Hopefully employees continue to work on strategies for self-care and maximizing their health and wellness. But what can employers do to lead with compassion and support their teams during these challenging and stressful times? First of all, support should be provided to all employees, not just those who may be struggling. Each and every one of us has men- tal health, and while people expe- riencing declining mental health may need additional supports, re- sources or accommodations, each and every one of us can benefit from awareness, care and strate- gies to maximize our health and functioning and help us be more prepared if we do begin to feel im- pacts on our mental health. The following are some strate- gies for employers to consider to support team members working from home: • Set a routine of regular check-ins. Whether it's an open call for a weekly team virtual lunch or a short daily meeting, staying connected can help peo- ple feel less isolated and also give you the opportunity to notice what's going on with them. • Keep your eyes and ears open for signs that others may be strug- gling. Changes can include any number of things, such as team members being more negative, stressed, fatigued, overwhelmed and withdrawn, and while these signs don't always mean that someone is experiencing a mental health problem, they are worth a conversation. Have a private check-in to talk about what you're noticing, give them an opportuni- ty to talk, and discuss what may help. Know your duties and re- sponsibilities as an employer and consult with your experts and ad- visors when needed. • Share supports that are avail- able both at and outside of work. Information on things like Em- ployee Assistance Programs, ben- efit coverage, and community re- sources should be easy to access through an employee intranet or similar tool and regular remind- ers should be provided to keep them top of mind. • Consider creating additional workplace supports, such as 'workplace buddies' or peer sup- porters who are appropriately trained and prepared to have comfortable conversations about mental health. • Communicate and support boundaries. It can be more chal- lenging for employees to limit work hours when they're working from home, as it's tempting to work overtime to accomplish "just one more thing" that can turn into many more things and less personal time. Leaders can help by clearly stating that set work hours still apply, discourag- ing staying connected by phone or email outside of work hours when possible, and following these guidelines themselves to model that limits are important to wellness. Remember a good guiding principle: kindness, compassion, openness, and a listening ear go a long way. Melanie McGregor is the com- munications and advancement specialist at the Canadian Men- tal Health Association Halton Region Branch, which provides mental health/addiction commu- nity support and education. Visit www.halton.cmha.ca for more information and follow @cmha- halton on Twitter. NAVIGATING THE CHALLENGES OF WORKING FROM HOME OPINION HERE ARE SOME THINGS EMPLOYERS CAN DO TO SUPPORT THEIR TEAM, WRITES MELANIE MCGREGOR MELANIE MCGREGOR Column