How to Implement Mental Health Support at Your Workplace?
Your employees’ mental health involves more than just their ability to work well and be free from work-related stress. From our last article “How Poor Mental Health Affects Your Business”, you also learned that there are negative impacts on your business if your employees’ mental and emotional health isn’t a priority in your organization’s plans.
In a high work-demand country like Singapore, most workers are required to multitask and maintain a high level of mental focus. If the workload continues to increase, employees may experience a lack of control over their work.
According to the findings, a good mental health state at work and good work environment management evince that a workplace with high levels of mental health improves employee’s productivity. Especially in a large environment like a company, employees’ mental wellness cannot be achieved by the employees alone. Companies also have an essential role in implementing mental health initiatives in the workplace. To address the challenges of mental health at work, HR and managers are in a powerful position to change the negative stigma associated with mental health.
Additionally, promoting mental health awareness within the company is crucial. Regular workshops and informational sessions can help improve employees’ mental health by educating them on how to recognize signs of poor mental health and when to seek help.
So, what’s the best way to implement mental health support in your workplace?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but it’s all about listening to your employees, recognizing the little things that hurt mental health, and actively taking action to improve the work environment. Therefore, HR and managers have the important roles of supervising and recognizing employees’ struggles with issues such as anxiety, burnout, fatigue, and even depression. These mental health issues can be caused by various factors such as discrimination, excessive workload, mismatched job roles, lack of support, ineffective communication, poor work environment, and many others. What can we, as leaders, do to support our employees’ mental wellbeing? Here are some helpful strategies to become a better advocate for mental health in the workplace:
1. Encourage anonymous feedback on work culture topics
This is a great opportunity for your employees to express their honest opinions about the work culture, their experiences, and any other work-related issues. This also helps your management teams be more objective about the problems at hand.
2. Actively communicate your organisation’s intentions to destigmatise mental health
It’s important to let your employees know that you care. Learn to create a safe and inclusive space for all to be themselves, no matter what mental state they may be in. In addition, you can also encourage everyone to celebrate behaviors that destigmatize mental health, and gently remind those who are making others feel discriminated against to empathize with the affected parties.
3. Provide official channels for employees to receive mental health support
Set up official support systems for your employees to actively seek help, and ensure there’s a person they can reach out to when your mental health resources are insufficient.
4. Grow your employees’ communication skills
Help your employees become more aware of what mental health is and isn’t, so they know when and how to communicate what they’re experiencing. Not only does this help them become more expressive when they need help, but it can also foster a culture where employees actively keep themselves in healthy mental states within their teams.
5. Complement work with out-of-work activities
Consider organizing regular activities, such as inter-team tournaments or themed experiences, to foster healthier relationships among colleagues.
6. Consider mental health as part of your employees’ compensation packages
If your organization hasn’t yet considered providing mental health benefits, now is the time to do so. There are corporate health insurances that cover visits to a psychologist nowadays, and group classes and workshops to provide them with mental health strategies. The choices are endless so take your pick!
In the modern workplace, mental health is often overlooked, yet it plays a crucial role in the overall productivity and wellbeing of employees. It’s important to understand that mental health is not just the absence of mental illness, but also encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act, making it important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
Mental health issues are common, but help is available. People with mental health problems can get better, and many recover completely. However, in the workplace, these issues often go unrecognized and untreated, not only damaging an individual’s health and career, but also reducing productivity at work. According to the World Health Organization, depression and anxiety have a significant economic impact; the estimated cost to the global economy is US$ 1 trillion per year in lost productivity.
Hence, it’s crucial for organizations to step up and take responsibility for the mental health of their employees. This can be achieved by creating a supportive working environment that is respectful and inclusive, promoting a better work-life balance, and providing opportunities for career development. Employers can also provide mental health interventions and first aid training in the workplace, as well as encourage employees to seek professional help when needed.
Moreover, organizations can also implement policies to protect employees from harassment and bullying, which are known to contribute to stress and mental health problems. Regular surveys can be conducted to gauge the mental health of employees, identify stressors in the workplace, and implement necessary changes.
Prioritizing mental health is an investment, and it’s hard knowing how to get it right without disrupting your business. At FITFAMCO, we offer flexible corporate packages tailored to get your team started on a journey of cultivating good mental health and wellbeing at work. Contact us today to learn more about mental health by filling out the form below!