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The High Cost of Silence: The Business Case for Workplace Suicide Prevention

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Overview

Silence around suicide and mental health in the workplace carries a steep price -- measured not only in human suffering, but also in productivity loss, legal exposure, reputational harm, and missed opportunities for early intervention.

In this episode of Headspace for the Workplace, I sit down with Canadian guest Tara Adams, a leading voice in workplace suicide prevention, to unpack the business case for proactive, skills-based suicide prevention at work. Drawing on research, lived experience, and real-world implementation, Tara explains why organizations that invest in connection, competence, and care build stronger, more resilient workplaces.

This conversation moves beyond awareness to action, exploring how everyday workplace relationships can become protective bridges to help -- earlier, more often, and with less fear.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

  • Why is workplace suicide prevention a business issue, not just a wellness initiative?

  • What are the financial and legal risks of ignoring mental health at work?

  • Do employees actually want suicide prevention training during work hours?

  • How does suicide prevention improve retention and employee trust?

  • What is the return on investment (ROI) for workplace mental health programs?

  • How can workplaces become safer places to talk about suicide without increasing risk?

  • What role do managers and peers play in preventing suicide?

  • How does workplace suicide prevention support families and communities beyond the job site?

  • How do unaddressed mental health struggles cost employers billions each year in absenteeism, presenteeism, and turnover?

  • How can proactive suicide prevention strengthen psychological safety, trust, and retention?

Two Tactical Takeaways

  1. Cumulative connections lead to earlier help-offering and help-seeking

    Suicide prevention isn’t one conversation or one training—it’s the build-up of everyday human connection. When people feel seen, known, and supported over time, warning signs surface earlier, and support is offered sooner. Connection is not “soft”; it is protective infrastructure.

  2. Employees are grateful when we teach suicide prevention skills on work time.

    When organizations invest paid time in suicide prevention training, employees hear a powerful message:

“You matter as a human being, not just as a worker.”

Rather than viewing training as extra work, employees often describe it as relief, validation, and care in action.

About Tara Adams

Tara Adams is the Founder and Owner of Abridge Consulting Inc., based in Calgary, Canada, specializing in workplace wellbeing, mental health, and suicide prevention.

After witnessing firsthand how unprepared many workplaces were to support employees in distress, Tara committed her career to a simple -- but not easy -- goal:
“Get more people, more help, sooner.”

Since launching Abridge in 2020, Tara has designed and delivered 25 customized workplace mental health and suicide prevention courses, including highly sought-after Employee and Leader Suicide Prevention programs and train-the-trainer models. Her work is known for blending evidence, compassion, and practical skill-building that organizations can actually sustain.

Fun fact: Tara is a busy working mom of two, a semi-competitive tennis player, and jokes that sleep is her “most competitive sport.”

Connect with Tara:

References

Burton, J. (2007). The business case for a healthy workplace [Report]. University of Massachusetts Lowell. https://www.uml.edu/docs/fd_business_case_healthy_workplace_tcm18-42671.pdf

Goetzel RZ, Roemer EC, Holingue C, Fallin MD, McCleary K, Eaton W, Agnew J, Azocar F, Ballard D, Bartlett J, Braga M, Conway H, Crighton KA, Frank R, Jinnett K, Keller-Greene D, Rauch SM, Safeer R, Saporito D, Schill A, Shern D, Strecher V, Wald P, Wang P, Mattingly CR. Mental Health in the Workplace: A Call to Action Proceedings From the Mental Health in the Workplace-Public Health Summit. J Occup Environ Med. 2018 Apr;60(4):322-330. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001271. PMID: 29280775; PMCID: PMC5891372. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29280775/

Hallett N, Rees H, Hannah F, Hollowood L, Bradbury-Jones C (2024) Workplace interventions to prevent suicide: A scoping review. PLoS ONE 19(5): e0301453. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0301453

Harvey SB, Modini M, Joyce S, Milligan-Saville JS, Tan L, Mykletun A, Bryant RA, Christensen H, Mitchell PB. Can work make you mentally ill? A systematic meta-review of work-related risk factors for common mental health problems. Occup Environ Med. 2017 Mar;74(4):301-310. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2016-104015. Epub 2017 Jan 20. PMID: 28108676.

Kinchin, I., & Doran, C. M. (2017). The economic cost of suicide and non-fatal suicidal behavior in the Australian workforce and the potential impact of a workplace suicide prevention strategy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(4), 347. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14040347