Bell receives Gold Award from Excellence Canada for Mental Health at Work

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 27, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell has received Excellence Canada's 2014 Gold Award for Mental Health at Work for its leadership in promoting mental health across corporate Canada, a key action pillar of the Bell Let's Talk initiative.

"Bell is tremendously honoured to be recognized by Excellence Canada for our ongoing work with health care, business and government leaders to develop best practices in workplace mental health and adopt them in our own workplaces," said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let's Talk. "We congratulate Bell Let's Talk partner the Mental Health Commission of Canada, which also received the Gold Award for Mental Health at Work for its success in supporting workplace mental health."

The Canada Awards for Excellence program recognizes outstanding achievements by organizations across a range of categories focused on quality, innovation, health and wellness. Bell will be presented with the award on October 30 as part of Excellence Canada's annual awards ceremony in Toronto. For more information, please visit www.excellence.ca.

Among recent achievements, Bell has adopted the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace and worked closely with Queen's University and management solutions provider Morneau Shepell to develop Canada's first workplace health certificate training program. The accredited program builds on mandatory mental health training already in place for all Bell managers, and is available to all Canadian businesses and organizations.

According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), mental health issues have a growing impact on the workplace. On any given day, more than 500,000 Canadians will be absent from work due to mental health issues, and more than 70 per cent of workplace disability costs are attributable to mental illness.

The Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative is based on 4 action pillars: Anti-stigma, care and access, research, and workplace mental health. Bell has implemented programs to help foster a mentally healthy work environment, building awareness about the stigma of mental illness and equipping team leaders with the right tools and resources to support employees.

About Bell Let's Talk
The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns – like Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk and the annual Bell Let's Talk Day – and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research, and workplace initiatives. Since its launch in 2010, Bell Let's Talk has committed more than $67.5 million to Canadian mental health programs. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

About Bell
Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers and business customers with leading TV, Internet, wireless, home phone and business communications solutions under the Bell Canada and Bell Aliant brands. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out of home, and digital media including CTV, Canada's #1 television network, and the country's most-watched specialty channels..Bell is wholly owned by Montréal's BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For more information, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.

Media inquiries:

Jacqueline Michelis
Bell Media Relations
(613) 785-1427
jacqueline.michelis@bell.ca
@Bell_News

SOURCE Bell Canada