How Can We Advocate for Mental Health in the Workplace?
Does your workplace still carry a significant stigma around mental health? There are plenty of challenges in the office and sometimes things might get too overwhelming for everyone. We all strive for a mental health-friendly workplace, and it is essential to create a supportive work environment for employees to avoid worker stress and burnout.
Now there are plenty of rising advocacies about mental health in the workplace but the real question is, how can we implement this? What are the concrete steps we could actually take to nurture a safe space in the workplace?
Here are some simple ways we could do:
Educate Employees
Provide information and education to employees about mental health and its importance. This can be done through workshops, training sessions, and awareness campaigns. Check out some of our talks here.
Action you can take: Arrange your first mental health awareness talk. This way, your employees could learn more about their mental wellbeing at work which may help with their personal relationships and even performance at work.Encourage Open Communication
Create an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing mental health concerns without fear of stigma or discrimination. Encourage managers and supervisors to have open and honest conversations with employees about their mental health at work.
Action you can take: Initiate a laid-back lunch at work where everyone could openly discuss their work or personal struggles. This will create a more intimate environment and employees could start strengthening their rapport with each other.
Bonus: If it picks up, they could have their personal support group at work too!
Provide Mental Health Resources
It’s important to note that burned-out workers can greatly affect the overall mental wellness in the workplace. Therefore, it’s crucial to provide mental health support for employees and promote employee wellbeing.
Offer resources such as mental health services, mental health hotlines, and employee assistance programs (EAP). Ensure that employees are aware of these resources and how to access them. Some of the SG complimentary hotlines can be found here.
Action you can take: We acknowledge that we do have limitations, but the good thing is, there are experts in this field that we could run to. Consult with a wellness company and see which EAP suits your company best!
Promote Work-life Balance
Encourage employees to take breaks, prioritize self-care, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. This could be done by implementing flexible work arrangements so employees could still fill their other roles such as being a parent, sibling, or even just a friend.
Action you can take: Allowing employees with children to start work earlier. For example, offer an option where they could start working at 8AM and end shift by 5PM. This allows them to work 8 hours a day – while still having time to do their roles at home.Lead By Example
Don’t forget about yourself! Leaders and managers should model healthy behavior and encourage their teams to prioritize mental health. This can include taking breaks, prioritizing self-care, and seeking help when needed.
The action you can take: Walk your talk. We could not preach mental health practices without applying them to ourselves first. They are not one-size-fits-all so feel free to explore what tips and tricks work for you and your team!
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), decent work is good for worker’s mental health. Poor working environments, including discrimination and inequality, excessive workloads, low job control, and job insecurity, pose a risk to mental health.
Work can protect mental health. Almost 60% of the world's population is in work. All workers have the right to a safe and healthy environment at work. Decent work supports good mental health by providing a livelihood, a sense of confidence, purpose, and achievement, an opportunity for positive relationships and inclusion in a community, and a platform for structured routines, among many other benefits. For people with mental health conditions, decent work can contribute to recovery and inclusion, and improve confidence and social functioning.
Risks to mental health at work can include:
Under-use of skills or be under-skilled for work
Excessive workloads or work pace
Understaffing
Long, unsocial or inflexible hours
Lack of control over job design or workload
Unsafe or poor physical working conditions
Organizational culture that enables negative behaviours
Limited support from colleagues or authoritarian supervision
Violence, harassment or bullying
Discrimination and exclusion
Unclear job role
Under- or over-promotion
Job insecurity, inadequate pay, or poor investment in career development
Conflicting home/work demands
More than half the global workforce works in the informal economy, where there is no regulatory protection for health and safety. These workers often operate in unsafe working environments, work long hours, have little or no access to social or financial protections and face discrimination, all of which can undermine mental health. Although psychosocial risks can be found in all sectors, some workers are more likely to be exposed to them than others, because of what they do or where and how they work.
In conclusion, promoting mental wellness in the workplace is not just about providing resources and support, but also about creating a work environment that is conducive to mental health. This includes providing decent work, reducing psychosocial risks, and promoting a culture of openness and support.
By doing so, we can help to reduce the stigma around mental health, support the wellbeing of our employees, and create a more productive and positive work environment. A mentally healthy workplace is a productive workplace. Let’s all strive to make mental health a priority in our workplaces!
In the quest for a healthier workplace, it’s also important to consider the role of sleep. Good sleep is essential for overall health and well-being, and it can significantly impact productivity and performance at work. If you’re interested in learning more about this, check out this blog post on 5 Reasons to Improve Your Employees’ Sleep. It provides valuable insights into why improving your employees’ sleep can benefit both the individual and the organization as a whole.
Advocating for a healthier workplace may be challenging and progress may be slow, but always remember that small progress is still progress. By taking these steps, you can create a supportive and healthy work environment that prioritizes employees' mental health and well-being. Start today by filling out this form to enquire about our Mental Wellbeing Programs!