As previous posts in our series about suicide and mental health in the workplace have discussed, employers are in a unique position to support their employees’ overall well-being. People spend a lot of time at work, and their jobs may cause or add to existing stress in their lives.
By providing a supportive, caring work environment, employers can make a positive impact on their employees’ psychological health. Accessible mental health resources also can help attract and keep top talent and boost a company’s bottom line.
3 Employee Mental Health Strategies
If you’re committed to helping your employees be mentally well but are finding it difficult to identify practical ways to support them, here are three proven strategies for how to improve mental health in the workplace.
RELATED: Creating Awareness - Addressing Suicide in the Workplace Head-On >>
1. Train Managers
Research shows that managers and supervisors play a critical role in supporting employee wellness and mental health at work. Company leaders should understand the signs of mental illness and how to proactively interact with employees on the topic. They also should model healthy behaviors and protect employees’ well-being.
Mental health training equips organizational leaders with knowledge that fosters empathy and understanding. Specifically, managers should be trained to:
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Effective and compassionate intervention
Effectively and compassionately intervene when they notice an employee struggling, and encourage them to get help.
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Treat employees with dignity and respect
Treat employees experiencing mental health challenges or psychological emergencies with dignity and respect.
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Understand mental health benefits and services
Understand all of the company’s mental health benefits and services, so they can quickly connect employees to appropriate resources.
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Promote available mental health resources
Promote available mental health resources throughout the year. Research shows many employees don’t take full advantage of the mental health services available because they don’t know those benefits exist.
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Respect work-life balance
Respect work-life balance by helping employees find ways to better manage their professional and personal responsibilities. Offering flexible work hours and ensuring projects have adequate staff and resources assigned are two ideas that could be considered.
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Demonstrate commitment to mental health
Demonstrate the company’s commitment to mental health. For example, a manager might go on walks during work breaks, invite colleagues to join or promote mental health by setting aside time for team building or celebrations.
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Address psychosocial hazards
Immediately address psychosocial hazards such as workplace bullying, harassment, discrimination and toxic supervisory relationships.
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Follow inclusive policies and practices
Actively follow their organizations’ inclusive policies and practices. Welcoming varying perspectives fosters a psychologically safe work environment, which builds trust between leadership and employees, increases job satisfaction levels and helps minimize job-related stressors.
2. Create and Follow Supportive Policies and Programs
To foster workplace mental health and positive employee relationships, employers should institute and enforce company policies and programs that promote the following:
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Workplace health and safety guidelines
Create clear guidelines for workplace health & safety.
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Paid time off availability
Make paid time off available.
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Flexible schedule options
Allow flexible schedules as appropriate for the role and business needs.
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Zero-tolerance policies
Expect and follow through on a zero-tolerance policy for:
- Bullying/Incivility
- Harassment
- Discrimination
- Violence
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Mental health benefits
Provide robust mental health benefits such as access to virtual and in-person counseling.
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Confidentiality assurance
Assure employees of their confidentiality when it comes to health matters.
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Wellness initiatives
Offer wellness initiatives like on-site fitness facilities or gym memberships, quiet rooms, paid subscriptions to mindfulness apps and stress management workshops.
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Employee assistance communication
Leverage multiple methods of communicating employee assistance benefits.
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Feedback channels for employees
Allow employees to provide feedback to company leadership, making sure they understand the processes for sharing suggestions and reporting harmful behaviors.
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Complaint investigation procedures
Establish and follow procedures for investigating complaints and consequences for violations.
RELATED: Recognizing the Signs Someone is Suicidal at Work >>
3. Make the Culture a Mental Health Asset
When employees feel psychologically safe and valued, trust flourishes. While employers certainly are not responsible for solving all mental health issues in the workplace, an inclusive, welcoming, supportive culture ensures that the employer organization is not contributing to workers’ stress.
The workplace culture becomes a mental health asset when leaders:
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Offer remote work options
Offer remote work to give employees more control over their lives. Even one day of remote work each week can lessen the stress associated with long commutes and rigid schedules.
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Set realistic job expectations
Set realistic job expectations, so employees understand what success looks like and can achieve it.
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Recognize & reward notable employee contributions
Recognize and reward notable employee contributions. Specific praise is shown to further increase the very behavior being recognized.
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Distribute work appropriately
Distribute work appropriately among team members to prevent overloading a few individuals. Employees tasked with too much may feel overwhelmed, while people who find their work unchallenging may become restless and feel undervalued.
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Empower employees
Empower employees with all the tools they need to efficiently and effectively perform their job responsibilities.
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Provide mental health training
Provide mental health training opportunities for all employees, not just company leaders. Improving mental health literacy across an organization breaks down myths, biases and stigma.
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Regularly check on how employees are feeling
RELATED: Suicide at Work - Navigating the Complex Issue of Employee Well-Being >>
Prioritizing Mental Health for Long-Term Success
Offering mental health benefits and resources, expressing empathy and encouraging employees to take holistic care of themselves shows you care about them, help is available and they’re not alone. These are all actions that can help transform employee grief, anxiety and anguish into employee resilience, optimism and hope.
In business terms, prioritizing employee well-being and mental health can often turn unproductive, withdrawn employees into engaged, high-performing team members. To further support mental health in the workplace, Axcet HR Solutions, a certified PEO.
We have decades of experience helping small businesses implement best practices that foster healthy work environments and drive success. Schedule a consultation to discuss how we could partner to enhance your employees’ mental health and your organization’s long-term success.