Ignoring mental health issues has shown to have adverse effects on both employees and employers and affects the overall profitability of a company. Awareness and acknowledgment are the first steps to fostering mental well-being in a workplace.
May is mental health awareness month and many organizations are putting more effort towards fostering positive mental health for their employees. According to a 2019 survey by PR Newswire, the U.S. mental health market spending topped at $225 billion.
Ignoring mental health issues has shown to have adverse effects on both employees and employers and affects the overall profitability of a company.
I spoke to Leah Muli, a HR consultant at Pealar Consultants. She said that employers have a huge role to play when it comes to mental health. The following are some important pointers that she gave:
Work-life balance
Leah began by emphasizing the importance of having a work-life balance. Every employee should be able to have a balance between work, family, and social life. This helps develop positive mental health and maintain motivation.
An employer, therefore, should ensure that they don’t eat into time that their staff would be spending with their families and other important aspects of their lives. British organization Benenden revealed that over 40% are neglecting other aspects of their life because of work. The study also highlighted that when working long hours 27% feel depressed, 34% feel anxious and 58% feel irritable.
Facilitate downtime
Ms. Muli said that we all need some downtime especially when work has been hectic. As an employer, you should have an allowance during the day where the staff can take a breather. This can be a space in the office where people rest, exercise, interact and get entertained.
This brings down stress levels and reduces cortisol which causes people to be anxious and probably nervous.
Partner with mental health support service providers
Companies can also partner with mental health providers such as Wazi so that employees can air out their issues to a professional and get help. Wazi provides an around-the-clock call line where a person can call a counselor and express their troubles without judgment.
It also offers anonymity. Therefore, a patient doesn’t have to worry about being exposed or the information being used against them. This facilitates the safety and discretion that is needed to address mental health issues effectively.
Sometimes paying for a counselor in the midst of other demanding financial obligations can be unaffordable for employees. When the employer offsets that cost for them, it goes a long way in getting them the vital help they need.
Healthy work environment
The workplace should not be toxic but should be a good environment where people interact seamlessly and conflicts are minimal. There should also be a clear channel for conflict resolution so that there is no strife and unnecessary animosity among workers.
Conflict is inevitable because we are human and imperfect. What matters is how it is handled. Leaders should ensure that conflicting parties have been reconciled through honest and fair arbitration.
Secondly, the employees should not live in fear when they make mistakes. This could result from constant threats and condemnation. They should be given room to fail and learn.
When people do a good job, they should be acknowledged and celebrated so as to raise motivation and positivity in the workplace.
Flexible work hours
Employers should give their employees the flexibility to work at hours that are convenient for them. People have many responsibilities at home and in other aspects of their lives. For example, parenting, taking care of sick parents and siblings, studying while working, and attending to medical issues for those who have conditions.
These responsibilities alone are not only time-consuming but also mentally involving in a significant way. When someone has flexible work hours, they are able to identify optimum performance hours and deliver impressive results.
Eddy Vaisberg, a Non-Executive Director at Fuzu, advised that employees should study their bodies and mental state. They should be honest with themselves and capitalize on the hours that they are most productive. For some people, morning hours are the most productive hours for them because they are alert and motivated. Then you have the night owls. These are the people whose energy, motivation, and vitality accelerate into the night.
With that flexibility and comfort, Leah says that it reduces anxiety and pressure while bringing the best out of a person. That way both the boss and the employee are happy because the job has been completed.
The other facet of flexible working hours is giving people the freedom to complete their tasks and in the given deadline without having to micromanage them. There are people who assign their work to specific days of the week so that they can make time for attending to other tasks in their life. That is why you find people who prefer to do the bulk of their work during weekends because they have other commitments during the week.
Basically, it fosters growth and rests to avoid fatigue and burnout.
Regular check-ins and meetings
Regular check-ins with your team are important in keeping up with how everyone is doing. At Fuzu, there are regular weekly meetings where we catch up both as the whole team and at departmental levels. Team leaders will always ensure that everyone is okay and that they have everything they need to deliver quality work.
If someone is not doing well, they have the opportunity to freely express themselves and also receive support. Support from the employer can be in the form of health insurance so that they can take care of their health concerns. Additionally, Fuzu invites professionals to advise employees on how to take care of themselves and their mental health from time to time. This equips a person with information that helps them self-analyze and even verbalize a mental health issue. Acknowledgment from an employer eliminates the stigma around negative mental health.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the stigma of mental illness continues to be active in organizations and at the workplace. They emphasize that stigma creates a barrier for people to ask questions or raise genuine concerns due to the fear of rejection, discrimination, and ridicule from others.
Employers are supposed to be at the forefront of raising awareness among their staff and create a safe channel of communication where mental illnesses can be addressed and treated. People will open up once they feel safe according to former therapist Dr. Creflo Dollar.
In October 2018, Kenyans were shocked by the news of a manager committing suicide at a reputable audit firm. It was a normal workday for Stephen Mumbo but in the morning hours, he jumped out of the 17th floor while at the work office and succumbed to his injuries.
This case is an example of how deadly mental illnesses can be if they go unchecked and unaddressed.
Make good policies
Leah emphasized that leaders in organizations should formulate policies that facilitate positive mental health. These policies will establish healthy systems that guide how such issues are handled and governed.
According to the World Health Organization, an organization should make policies that have a positive effect on the mental health of employees. In their report titled “Mental Health Policies and Programmes in the Workplace” they recommend the following, “Changes in the workplace that increase the income of employees, facilitate access to education and training, and improve working conditions will have a positive effect on the mental health of employees.”
In conclusion
Awareness and acknowledgment are the first steps to fostering mental well-being in a workplace. Analyze what you can do for your employees by studying recommendations by W.H.O, CDC, NHS, and other authoritative organizations. The last step will be coming up with effective policies that address mental wellness and implementing them.
