Reducing stigma and empowering strength: mental health matters at Cenovus
Cenovus’s newest employee-driven network, MentalHealthMatters@Cenovus, is keeping the conversation going.
Never before have mental illness awareness and proactive psychological health received so much attention and played such a critical role in the workplace. In a years-long journey to provide mental health information and resources to our staff, Cenovus Energy has a new way to keep the conversation going through our newest employee network, MentalHealthMatters@Cenovus.
Recognizing how the support of colleagues can make a big difference on mental health, Cenovus staff aligned and created the new network where staff could come together and support mental health in the workplace, ultimately helping staff take better care of themselves and each other.
“At Cenovus, we have lots of great resources to support our mental well-being, but we saw the need for a place where staff could personally connect with their colleagues – share their experiences, seek advice and learn from others who are going through similar struggles,” says Curtis Thompson, Supervisor, Field Operations and MentalHealthMatters@Cenovus Co-Chair. “By creating a space for staff to talk to each other about the stresses of work and life, we hope to reduce stigma around mental health and help build a more psychologically aware and safe workplace.”
The network launched in late-2023 with aspirations to spark change across the company and is already seeing momentum. By working with our other employee-led inclusion and diversity networks, internal resource groups and by bringing staff together in meaningful ways, the network plans to create mental health awareness through education, communication and collaboration on issues that may be affecting our staff.
Recognizing how the support of colleagues can make a big difference on mental health, Cenovus staff aligned and created the new network where staff could come together and support mental health in the workplace, ultimately helping staff take better care of themselves and each other.
“At Cenovus, we have lots of great resources to support our mental well-being, but we saw the need for a place where staff could personally connect with their colleagues – share their experiences, seek advice and learn from others who are going through similar struggles,” says Curtis Thompson, Supervisor, Field Operations and MentalHealthMatters@Cenovus Co-Chair. “By creating a space for staff to talk to each other about the stresses of work and life, we hope to reduce stigma around mental health and help build a more psychologically aware and safe workplace.”
The network launched in late-2023 with aspirations to spark change across the company and is already seeing momentum. By working with our other employee-led inclusion and diversity networks, internal resource groups and by bringing staff together in meaningful ways, the network plans to create mental health awareness through education, communication and collaboration on issues that may be affecting our staff.
“We work in an industry where mental health struggles aren’t typically talked about because of the stigma of being seen as weak,” says Trista Ullock, SCM Upstream Advisor and MentalHealthMatters@Cenovus Co-Chair. “When we operate with stigma in the organization, we are not living up to the full potential of our values. But with work, we will get there and be a stronger force moving forward.”
LAST UPDATED: JANUARY 2024
Inclusion & diversity networks
Our inclusion and diversity networks are intended to help foster a diverse and inclusive workplace. These networks are open to all staff and aim to provide peer support, increase awareness of key topics, trends and issues and influence Cenovus’s practices and programs to enhance the experience of all staff. Learn more.
Not Myself Today - Supporting the psychological health and safety of our staff
As ambassadors, staff across Cenovus are helping to champion and build a healthier and more supportive workplace environment. Read more.
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