Abstract
This talk will centre on how we can protect mental health as we advance equity, diversity and inclusion strategies. Opening up deeper dialogue around identity and different experiences in the workplace goes hand in hand with increasing mental health supports. Over the years, Teck has progressively increased mental health benefits for our people, but we’ve also embraced innovative ways to bring these supports to our people, especially at our sites.
During this presentation, we will share stories from across our copper and zinc sites with a focus on how we’ve created physical space for improved inclusion and mental health. In the development of Quebrada Blanca copper mine in Chile, we opened a Gender and Inclusion Centre to grow skills for a respectful work environment and prevent sexual harassment, gender discrimination and violence. Similarly, we created a Wellness and Inclusion Centre in our Red Dog zinc mine in Alaska. We find having dedicated space and time for our staff’s mental health is helping us advance inclusion and overall wellbeing.
But it’s not just about the space, it’s also about deploying opportunities that are relevant, culturally appropriate and engaging. We have counsellors that understand the local culture, bring in Elders and community members to engage with staff, and support staff to take initiative to plan events and initiatives to support their peers. We’re looking forward to not only sharing what services and spaces we’ve developed and offered to our staff, but our lessons learned on how to implement them successfully.