How Can Organizations Support Their Employees’ Mental Health?

Health News
Written by Ariana Smith
December 15, 2021

There is no health without mental health ~ David Sacher.

There’s a reason so much emphasis has been given to employee mental stress. If they aren’t mentally fit, expecting them to work efficiently or even to live to their fullest is delusional.

Loneliness, stress, and anxiety are increasing in the corporate world, especially post-pandemic, and hence needs to be addressed immediately.

Take a look at the stats below:

One in five adults in the U.S. experiences mental illness every year.
42% of global employees have experienced a decline in their mental health after the Coronavirus pandemic.
The number of global employees who rated their mental health state in the lowest range (=>3 on a 10-point scale) has doubled since the Covid outbreak began.

As you know, employees’ health is integral to the health of a business. Hence, organizations must step up and look for measures to manage their people at risk. This needs them to build new strategies that protect the physical, mental, financial, and social well-being of their workforce.

Let’s see what measures organizations can take to support their employees’ mental health.

Contents

6 Ways Organizations Can Support Employees’ Mental Health

The workplace is where an individual spends most of their time. Hence, organizations can strategically mold their company culture and workplace environment to help employees navigate their mental health challenges.

Here are some proactive ways organizations can take note of.

1. Empathize With Them & Show Acceptance

While it may be difficult to understand what makes a person in a certain way, the best thing you can do is to empathize with them and accept the way they feel.

People suffering from mental health issues often feel shame and resist connecting with others, which further may deteriorate their condition. When organizations empathize with them, it instills a sense of belongingness and care.

Instead of complaining about their poor performance or low energy, or harmful behaviors and warning them, offer a helping hand by showing that you understand what they are going through and that you’re ready to support them.

Be polite, stay calm, listen to them, and support them in their work. These are some of the simplest ways you can help them ease their depression and anxiety, and they won’t feel any discomfort coming to the office and being with people around.

2. Modify Company Policies

To reduce stress on your employees, be extremely flexible in updating company policies in reaction to the civil turbulence. For instance, you may need to reconsider your shift timings, paid time off, paid and unpaid leave, and communication channels.

Besides, it’s a great idea to consider performance reviews as opportunities for learning and compassionate feedback. Katherine Maher, the CEO of Wikimedia Foundation, sent an email to her organization in mid-March to outline changes to mitigate stress.

It said, “If you need to dial back [work hours], that’s okay.” Moreover, she also decided to pay hourly staff and contractors on the basis of their working hours, irrespective of their workability.

Remember, when making changes, be clear that you are doing so to support your employees’ mental health.

3. Expand Benefits For Employees

A one-size-fits-all approach has never been ideal for mental health. Hence, you must consider tailoring programs to fulfill the specific needs of the workforce with mental health concerns.

Initiate data analyses for better understanding, and start active listening sessions to determine what is best for the employees. Conduct in-person or virtual focus groups, surveys, and interviews that can help you gain input on mental health needs.

This will further help you to offer mental health benefits appropriate for your workforce and will provide value.

4. Communicate More Often

Make your employees with mental health issues comfortable and help them regain their confidence back by interacting with them more often.

Active listening and communicating about how they feel and comforting them with words of wisdom and positivity can bring back their confidence to an extent. Also, offer workshops for employees to learn more about mental health and resilience.

5. Offer Mental Health Coverage

Mental health coverage can help ease financial & medical-related worries of employees with mental health concerns. Learn more about the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.

This will need insurance ranges for the mental health conditions that do not have more restrictions than any insurance coverage for additional medical health conditions.

Find out how many psychiatrists and psychologists are in the network. Further, offer a health savings account (HSA) to help counterbalance out-of-pocket costs.

6. Increase Awareness Through Training

Prioritize proactive and preventive workplace mental health training for managers, leaders, and individuals more than ever. You can create a team of senior leaders and discuss with them how they can contribute to creating a mentally healthy culture. This will help you navigate uncertainty during times like the pandemic.

As mental health issues are increasing among employees, it’s crucial to demystify common myths, diminish stigma, and build an open culture to have productive conversations about workforce mental health.

Do not worry if you don’t have the budget to invest in training! You can opt for mental health employee resource groups that are a low-cost way to boost awareness, build community, and provide peer support. Albook their mental health visit through online pharmacy, which provides virtual care services.

The Final Say

Times have changed ever since the world was hit by the Covid pandemic. No matter how hard we want or try, it’s not possible to return to the way things were earlier. It’s better to accept this reality as soon as possible and use this opportunity to create a healthy and comfortable environment for our workforce experiencing mental health issues.

We hope the above tips will help you build a healthy environment in your organization and offer support to those who are in need. Feel free to share your opinions and suggestions with our readers in the comment section.

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