A clear business case for hiring aspiring workers: Findings from a research project that looked at the costs and benefits of recruiting and retaining people living with mental illness

A clear business case for hiring aspiring workers is a report from the Mental Health Commission of Canada that presents findings from a research project on the costs and benefits of recruiting and retaining people living with mental illness.

Most people living with a mental health problem or illness want to work and can make important contributions to the workforce if they are adequately supported. This report presents the business case for employers to actively recruit and accommodate people living with a mental illness through an in-depth examination of the financial, social and organizational costs and benefits. The focus is on Aspiring Workers, those people who, due to mental illness, have been unable to enter the workforce, who are in and out of the workforce due to episodic illness and are struggling to remain in the workplace, or who wish to return to work after a lengthy period of illness. 

Several recommendations for organizations seeking to innovate around hiring and accommodating workers living with a mental health problem or illness are highlighted.

The full research report, The Aspiring Workforce in Canada: Building the business case for employers to actively recruit and retain people living with mental illness, can be requested from the Mental Health Commission of Canada, info@mentalhealthcommission.ca