In the past couple of years, mental health has been an extremely hot topic in general wellness discussions, and especially at the workplace. As businesses continue striving for success, it becomes even clearer how employee mental health affects their productivity, job satisfaction, and company culture.
This article will provide an understanding of the importance of mental health in the workplace and strategies to support employee well-being.
Understanding Mental Health in the Workplace
Basic to mental health is an individual’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. In the workplace, mental health may actually influence how the staff member handles stress, builds relationships with colleagues, and makes decisions. WHO estimates that one in four people will experience a mental health issue at some stage in their life. This number calls for having a supportive environment for every employee.
The influence of mental health on work performance cannot be overstated. Statistics published by researchers show that poor mental health cannot be left unchecked since it is detrimental to productivity. According to the American Psychological Association, workers with untreated mental health conditions miss work 3.2 times more than those who receive proper support. Mental health issues can also cause higher turnover, which can significantly cost companies their recruitment and training money.
Benefits in favor of Mental Health
Investment in worker’s mental well-being brings benefits to workers and the employer. When organizations embrace mental well-being, they create a healthier workplace environment that promotes productivity and engagement among workforces. Supporting workers helps promote motivation and commitment in work.
Companies that care about the mental health of their employees also benefit from improved bottom line performance. Deloitte calculates that, for every dollar invested in mental health programs, companies will benefit with an average return of $4 in better productivity and lower absenteeism. This reveals that helping maintain people’s mental health is as important as a moral responsibility as it is a good business move.
Employee Support Strategies
This can only be done by the deliberate effort of leadership and management. Among which are the following, some strategies that can be very effective in organizations toward ensuring good mental well-being among employees.
- Establish an Open Communication
Promote openness in discussing mental health. Workers should be able to discuss their challenges without any fear of stigmatization or discrimination. Organizations can design forums or regular check-ins where people share their feelings and experiences. Even training managers to detect signs of distress and show supportive conversations would do.
- Provide resources and support
Provide ways to support mental health. This can be through counseling services, EAPs, or stress and resilience workshop. Providing literature related to mental health issues can also be seen to enable the employee to seek medical help when needed.
- Encourage Employees to Maintain a Balance between Work and Life
Maintaining the work-life balance is a way to achieve mental well-being. Flexible working hours or even the option for telecommuting should be an incentive if practical. Support employees who are encouraged to take regular breaks and time out of work to avoid burnout.
- Maintain a Good Working Environment
Positive workplace culture can significantly affect employee satisfaction and well-being. Organizations should respect and value differences and bring in a team approach for their employees. Recognition and celebration of personal milestones can increase the morale of employees and make them feel worthy of recognition at the workplace.
- Mental Health Training
Mental health awareness training programs may, therefore, strengthen employees’ skills related to the skills that will help them better respond to and care for themselves and their colleagues. Some training programs include stress management techniques, mindfulness practices, or coping strategies regarding anxiety or depression.
Leadership Role
The leadership plays a great role in developing the organizational culture regarding mental well-being. Healthy behaviors can be modelled with great leaders who first take care of themselves and expose their vulnerability in regard to mental health issues. This action encourages employees within the organization to seek self-care and it is permissible.
Aside from that, leaders should be mental health advocates within the organization. This would be about setting aside funds for programs that would work in the betterment of employee well-being and regularly gauging their effectiveness through surveys or feedback sessions.
Conclusion
It is, therefore, of great importance to address mental health at the workplace. An organization that stresses welfare increases productivity but also ensures a good working environment where an employee feels valued and supported. Open communication, resources, work-life balance, positive culture, and investment in training programs documented to help employers have a significant contribution to supporting the mental health of employees have been stated as effective strategies in this regard.
