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Employee mental health has rapidly gained importance and momentum in the last few years.
There's a widespread acknowledgement that mental health is not only personal but also social. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, several businesses increased their emphasis on worker mental health (often in response to pressure from employees). These initiatives are much more necessary today.
Over the coming months and years, as we negotiate various transformations, leaders can expect to witness employees struggling with PTSD, trauma, anxiety, and despair. These experiences with mental health can vary depending on factors like race, economic opportunity, citizenship status, work type, parental and caregiver duties, and many more.
The new year will be full of new challenges. Are employees ready to face them?
Supporting Employee Mental Health in 2023
Having mental health policies in place for employees improves both the working environment and productivity. Here're some ways to promote and emphasize workplace mental health:
1) Modeling Healthy Behaviors
Be more than just a voice for mental health. As a manager, set an example for your team so that they can prioritize self-care and establish boundaries.
Managers frequently neglect their own needs in favor of prioritizing the success of their team and getting the work done. To avoid burnout, communicate that you're scheduling a staycation, seeking counseling, or taking a walk in the middle of the day (while turning off mail from the office).
True leaders model healthy behaviors and encourage team mental health.
2) Mental Check-Ins
Checking in with your junior colleagues regularly is more important than ever. Now that many work from home, it may be more difficult to spot the warning signs of distress.
In a study, nearly 40% of worldwide employees reported that no one had ever asked them whether they're feeling fine at work. The same respondents also reported that their mental well-being had deteriorated since the pandemic 38% more frequently than other respondents.
Go beyond a simple "How are you?", and ask detailed questions about what support might be beneficial for the employee. It's important for the employees to respond completely. Encourage inquiries and concerns while paying close attention.
3) Measure
A straightforward pulse poll that's conducted regularly to understand how individuals are doing both now and over time can be used to ensure accountability.
Such first-hand employee feedback has shaped new initiatives, such as the development of managers' remote management skills, improved employee support for their health and well-being, and expanded work flexibility and vacation time.
4) Promote Culture of Care
A company's culture is a major source of employee well-being. Host water challenges, organize walking events, and remind employees of the wellness and lifestyle benefits included in their benefits package.
Strive to maintain a healthy work-life balance, and make time for your own mental well-being. Make it clear to your staff that you respect both their productivity and well-being, and highlight that they don't have to compromise either for the other.
5) Introduce Training
Employees most frequently ask for training on where to go and how to use these resources, rather than coverage for mental and behavioral health issues.
Teach managers how to recognize the symptoms of diseases, including anxiety, depression, and other prevalent mental illnesses, as well as how to intervene appropriately.
The tension of not wanting teammates to find out about what an employee is going through can be lessened by maintaining an open channel of communication with their management.
6) Learn and Educate
To learn about mental health, you don't have to be a psychiatrist or psychologist. You just need to become better at learning about mental health concerns, which affects everyone and are the primary reason for long-term sick leave in one in five businesses.
The first step to achieve that is educating both you and your team about stress management and mental wellness.
Some warning indicators are more visible than others, and the nature of interpersonal connections at work might determine whether support is proactive or reactive. Create a culture of trust and support, and make an effort to get to know everyone on your staff.
Takeaway
If employees have not developed solid, supportive relationships at work, they're more susceptible to the detrimental effects of stress both inside and outside the job. Make work more engaging, social, and enjoyable so that stressed-out employees are not dealing all alone with these concerns.
Positive workplace relationships offer a source of support that's difficult to replace with anything else. This coming year, companies need to change and make concentrated efforts towards employee well-being.
Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.
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