Five ways to create mentally healthy workplace

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A mentally healthy workplace benefits both employees and the organisation. Each year, one in five people will experience a mental health problem. However, few employees feel comfortable discussing their mental health with their employers.

Work can be a major source of stress for many people. As an employer, you should strive to make your workplace as comfortable and enjoyable as possible to protect employees’ mental health. Not only does this show you care about your employees as people, but it’s also good for business.

According to the World Health Organization, the global economy loses $1 trillion per year in lost productivity due to depression and anxiety.

Establish a mentally healthy workplace to help employees feel their best and support them if they struggle. Here’s how.

Create a Positive Work Environment

A positive work environment does not encourage unhealthy competition, harassment, or negative attitudes that could cause anyone to break down. Don’t tolerate bullying, harassment or discrimination in your workplace. Have a written anti-harassment policy and apply it consistently, regardless of the harasser’s position or length of service. Remember to reward employees when they’ve done good work. Whether it’s an all-staff email shout-out or thanking them for helping out another team, tokens of appreciation are huge mood boosters. Also, encourage employees to make personal connections with their colleagues. Organise lunchtime social clubs (e.g. running, knitting, book club) where employees can meet new friends and socialise.

Promote Work/Life Balance

“Praising employees who work late and arrive early, or expecting them to work from home in the evenings hurts your company in the long run. Without a healthy work/life balance, productivity is likely to decline, and employees are more likely to burn out,” says psychotherapist Amy Morin. To prevent these negative consequences, offer flexibility in employees’ working hours. If they had a tough night and needed to shift their schedule ahead by an hour to get some sleep, let them. Finally, emphasise the importance of taking breaks. Encourage employees to find ways to unwind from anything that stresses them out.

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Provide Counsellors for employees

Employees’ mental health is just as important as their physical wellness. But failing to include mental health benefits in your company plan says you don’t value it. An easy way to make this transition is to have special “mental health days,” when employees can access counsellors or speak to someone about their work-life balance. The company can also create days when employees can take time off work, such as sick, maternal/paternal, annual, paid, and study leave. In addition, add mental health coverage to your employee benefits plan. Include support groups, therapists and group counsellors.

Organise Mental Wellness Events

Many mental health issues start small. A week of extra stress can turn into crippling anxiety. A bad performance review can lead to depression. Your aim as an employer should be to address employees’ mental health problems before they escalate. For example:

– Fun stress-busting events: Every month, plan an escape such as team outings, catered meals or snacks, arts and crafts sessions or holiday activities

– Yoga and meditation: Bring in a practitioner to lead an in-office yoga or meditation class to give employees a calming break

– Wellness workshops: Organize seminars that teach employees how to take care of their mental health both in the context of work and in general

Provide palliatives in the workplace.

Palliatives such as student loans, salary advances, holiday pay, bonuses, or performance recognition gifts can go a long way for employees to meet immediate and emergency needs that may stress them out or distract them from work.

Offer support by providing a list of resources to all employees. Send the list of resources to all employees at the beginning of each year and share it with new employees when hired.

In addition, keep it posted on common space bulletin boards and online portals so employees can access it without talking to anyone. This would encourage more people to seek help.

In conclusion, creating a safe, mentally healthy workplace for your employees only has positive consequences. Productivity in the workplace will greatly reduce mental health stigma, and, most importantly, protect your employees’ well-being.

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