How HR Can Improve Mental Health and Productivity in the Workplace
Prioritizing workplace mental health isn’t just good for team members’ well-being— it benefits your bottom line. Research shows that for every $1 invested in employee mental health, there was a $4 return. Of course, supporting employee mental health is good for business. But a key part of successfully promoting employee well-being is your company culture.
Here’s How to Boost Performance and Retention by Supporting Mental Health
Normalize Talking About It
Encourage leadership to be transparent about their personal experiences with their mental well-being. While starting a conversation about mental health may seem insignificant, leadership sets the tone for the rest of the team. Leaders have the power to create a stigma-free environment where employees can safely discuss their mental health.
Prioritize a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Longer hours don’t necessarily lead to more work getting done. For example, Stanford University found that employees who put in more than 50 hours of work a week decreased output. Set the tone for a healthy work-life balance by demonstrating time boundaries. Setting a work-life balance example at the leadership level allows employees to feel free to create their boundaries between work and home. Leadership can set expectations by working reasonable hours, offering paid time off, and allowing remote work.
Help Your Employees Learn to Manage Their Stress
Work-related stress can lead to bigger mental and physical health problems. Educate leadership and employees on how to recognize when they or their coworkers are showing signs of burnout. Encourage them to employ stress management techniques at work and provide resources that improve their ability to cope with stress. For example, allowing employees to take breaks during work to practice mindfulness or engage in physical activity can help combat burnout.
As burnout is one of the leading causes of lost productivity and turnover, it poses a significant business risk. Preventing and combating burnout decreases employee absenteeism, presenteeism, trouble concentrating, fatigue, and several physical conditions.
Implement a Workplace Mental Health Training Program
The best way to support employees' well-being is by offering a proactive mental health training program. An effective workplace mental health program teaches employees how to manage their mental health to remain productive at work.
The Pathways At Work program is a fully customizable workplace mental health solution that teaches employees how to manage their well-being proactively. With live and on-demand training workshops and small group discussions, employees get the tools and resources they need to manage their well-being and remain productive at work.
Investing in mental health is a win-win.
If your HR team is ready to prioritize productivity and support employee well-being, our team of mental health professionals can help. Reach out today to schedule an initial consultation with one of our Behavioral Wellness Experts.
References:
https://www.pathways.com/pathways-at-work/blog/workplace-mental-health-and-employee-productivity