Mental Health in the Workplace
Mental health in the workplace should be a priority for employers, and it should be a serious topic of conversation. The compounding issue has a variety of factors, but employee mental health can change the workplace dynamics drastically. If left unmanaged and disregarded, it can mean that employers harm not only the very people who work hardest for them, but the impact on the local economy and the financial cost to their company or brand can wind up being detrimental to everyone’s success.
It may be shocking to learn, but mental health and support in the workplace is a trend on the rise. Not only is it exciting to see that employers everywhere realise taking care of their employee’s health should be a priority, but in doing so they’re creating a culture where caring for their employees mental health grows a strong and healthy work environment.
Mental Health in the Workplace
Considering first and foremost, taking care of our employees and supporting a positive mental health environment should be monumental in any business you own or workplace you’re part of. By supporting our staff mentally, we’re ensuring they’re considering other aspects of their health as well. Mental health in the workplace can mean a great deal when it comes to productivity and effectiveness. The financial downside to not supporting their employees mental health for employers can mean a higher rate of disability and unemployment benefits.
We all have times in our lives where we may struggle with various mental hurdles. By ensuring, as employers, that your employees have resources and feel supported emotionally in the workplace, you’re helping to build healthy workplace cultures and boost loyalty and dedication to your business.
How Do I Support Mental Health in the Workplace?
By offering a wide variety of resources, whether they be through company provided medical benefits, or even access and the knowledge that your staff can go to HR or another representative for helpful information, you’re giving them the chance to take action on their own. It’s also important to normalise moments of distress or taking mental health days. By offering your staff the opportunity to take time for themselves, you’re helping to normalise a culture where paid time off and other benefits don’t come at a sacrifice.
To further support your staff’s mental health, ensuring you provide health plans and other benefits that are conducive to seeking and utilising professional help if they feel they need it. The stigma associated with mental health struggles can make employees feel ostracised and alone. This can further drive them from help, and as employers we want to care for and support our staff.
How Can You Normalise Mental Health Care at Work?
It’s no secret, there are quite a few social stigmas that affect our day to day lives. Mental health in the workplace has been somewhat of a social disgrace, and in order to help our employees realise their full potential, they need to feel confident and supported. As employers we can continue to build on this normalisation by offering training to staff new and old. By offering constant communication by ensuring your company is universal in their understanding of the importance of mental health care, you’re even further reinforcing it’s priority in your workplace.
Staff and employees everywhere can find confidence and will strive to excel in a place where they feel understood and supported. At the end of the day, your staff who feel supported will feel better, perform better, and further propel your business to success.
At hug, we’ve developed a platform that helps you support your team. It offers holistic real time analysis of your employee wellbeing and smart matches products, services and benefits to employee needs. We want you to gain critical insights on your workforce and use hug data to measure the impact of products and services you offer employees. Book a demo by clicking here today.