6 Tips for Maintaining a Mentally Healthy Workplace
Each year, one in five people will experience a mental health problem. However, only 23 per cent of employees feel comfortable discussing mental health with their employer.
Work can be a major source of stress for many people. As an employer, you should strive to make your workplace as comfortable and enjoyable as possible to protect employees’ mental health.
Not only does this show you care about your employees as people, but it’s also good for business: the World Health Organization estimates that the global economy loses $1 trillion per year in lost productivity due to depression and anxiety.
Establish a mentally healthy workplace to help employees feeling their best and support them if they’re struggling. Here’s how.
1. Create a Positive Work Environment
A work environment rife with excessive competition, harassment, cliques and negative attitudes could cause anyone to break down.
With personal and professional stresses, employees have enough to worry about without having to work in a toxic environment every day. A positive work environment will make them happy to come to work each day, protecting their mental health and boosting productivity.
2. Train Managers on Mental Health Support
Train managers on how to not only recognize the changes in behavior and productivity that could indicate a mental health problem, but also how to approach the topic of mental health while still maintaining boundaries.
3. Promote Healthy Work/Life Balance
To prevent these negative consequences, establish the importance of healthy work/life balance.
Start by offering flexibility in employees’ working hours, within reason. If they need to take two hours in the middle of the day for their child’s school concert and make it up in the evening or the next day, no problem. If they had a tough night and need to shift their schedule ahead by an hour to get some sleep, let them. Focus on employees’ output and productivity rather than their hours “on the clock.”
4. Provide Mental Health Benefits
Employees’ mental health is just as important as their physical wellness. But failing to include mental health benefits in your company plan says you don’t value it in the same way.
An easy way to make this transition is to allow “mental health days.” Either allow employees’ sick leave to be used for both physical and mental ailments, or designate some time off specifically for tending to mental health.
5. Organize Mental Wellness Events
Many mental health issues start small. A week of extra stress can turn into crippling anxiety. A bad performance review can lead to depression. Your aim as an employer should be to address employees’ mental health problems before they escalate.
Establish yours as a mentally healthy workplace by organizing events that help employees cope with stress and nourish their mental health. For example:
Fun stress-busting events: Every few months, plan an enjoyable escape such as therapy dogs, team outings, catered meals or snacks, arts and crafts sessions or holiday activities
Yoga and meditation: Bring in a practitioner (or ask an employee who’s formally trained) to lead an in-office yoga or meditation class to give employees a calming break
6. Share Resources with Employees
Even if an employee recognizes they are struggling and want to get help, they don’t always know where to turn. Offer support by providing a list of resources to all employees.
Share a list of therapists covered by your employee benefits plan, educational resources that list symptoms of and strategies for dealing with mental health problems and mental health hotlines and services.
Creating a safe, mentally healthy workplace for your employees only has positive consequences. You could reduce turnover, increase productivity, reduce mental health stigma and, most importantly, protect your employees’ well-being.
References:
https://www.i-sight.com/resources/6-tips-for-maintaining-a-mentally-healthy-workplace/