How to Keep Your Business Mental Health Conscious

According to a 2022 Gallup survey of more than 15,000 workers, employees with inadequate mental health miss four times more work than those who are mentally healthy. Four out of 10 U.S. workers reported that their job has an “extremely negative” (7%) or “somewhat negative” (33%) impact on their mental health. Some workers surveyed even said that their job is more likely to hurt their mental health than to help it.

But this might be the survey’s most troubling revelation about mental health in the workplace: Workers inclined to look for a solution weren’t guaranteed to find one. Gallup reported that more than half of workers do not have easy access to mentalh health support services.

Make employee mental health in the workplace a top priority

Excessive hours, difficult workloads, job-loss worry, and coworker conflict are some obvious causes of poor mental health in the workplace. Add personal issues such as grief, divorce, severe family illness, children’s struggles, the responsibility of elder care, etc., and you have a recipe for unmanageable stress that will cost your business money. 

This pressure-cooker scenario understandably can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems. It can’t help but negatively impact job satisfaction, coworker communication, productivity, job performance, and an employee’s ability to simply function and cope every day.

In fact, the cost for a missed workday is estimated to be $340/day. Add that up and missed work due to mental health cost the economy $47.6 billion annually in lost productivity. 

7 tips to promote mental health in the workplace

As an employer or manager, you can offer support to struggling employees and create a mentally healthy workplace that saves money. Here are 7 tips to create a safe and welcoming company culture that puts mental health in the workplace first:

1.  Safety. Foster an environment where employees feel safe to talk openly about their mental health and any problems they might be experiencing. Consistently “saying the quiet part out loud” will help break the stigma that has traditionally surrounded mental health issues.
2. Self-care. Actively promote employee self-care, such as getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and getting regular exercise. Mental health problems are less likely to afflict employees who are taking good care of themselves.
3. Support. Have your employees’ backs. Provide resources and support, such as information about mental health resources available at and outside of work. Look for signs that an employee might be struggling and offer support and guidance.
4. Balance. Encourage a healthy work/life ratio. Make it possible for employees to take time off when needed, discourage them from working excessive hours, and permit them to work at home when necessary. Most workers will be more productive when allowed to choose how to balance their work and home obligations.
5. Planning. Optimize workplace communication procedures to ensure all potential contingencies are covered in the event of an employee needing to be out sick or on leave. Also, have a plan for how you will cover their work.
6. Mindfulness. Be able to recognize the signs of stress and mental illness and watch out for them. They include, but aren’t necessarily limited to, excessive absenteeism, poor performance, potential substance abuse, and/or changes in mood or behavior. Reach out to the affected employee if you notice these signs to see what you can do to help.
7. Assistance. Offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), a work-based program that offers employees short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-up services. EAP participation should be confidential and completely voluntary.

Mental health in the workplace matters

A sound mental health and wellness work culture isn’t merely a nice gesture from management – it’s vital to your business’s financial success. Employees distracted by emotional problems can make costly mistakes that negatively affect other employees, the company culture, and above you’re your customers/clients.

We’re all in this together

Perhaps the only positive thing to emerge from the COVID pandemic – with its myriad emergencies, school shut-downs, positive test results, illness, and even grief after death – has been a laser-focus on mental health (and remote work).

Empower your employees to do their best for your business and to live their own best lives with a focus on mental health in your own business. With less missed work, less mistakes, and less turnover, any investment you make in mental health will be worth it. Learn more about Watch Media Group services here.