Strengthen Your Culture of Mental Health and Wellbeing

Life Was Supposed to Get Easier

It wasn’t that long ago that educators were telling students they’d need to find hobbies to fill their time because, with efficiencies being gained from technological innovation, time at work was surely to decrease and they’d have lots of work-free hours in their days.

Fast forward 50 years and most organizations, instead of reducing the work week, increased workloads to fill the additional “free” time.

In today’s fast-paced world of business and an ‘epidemic of busyness,’ it's easy for employers to get caught up in the whirlwind of productivity, deadlines, and bottom lines. But, amidst the hustle and bustle, it's crucial not to overlook employees' mental health and wellbeing. To ignore it is sure to see some individuals fall through the cracks and result in great detriment to some organizations.

What are the Real Benefits?

A supportive and nurturing work environment that prioritizes mental health can lead to numerous benefits for its employees and the organization's overall success and sustainability.

It’s smart business. When employees feel supported and valued, they are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and productive. Open communication, empathOn the flip side

Neglecting employee wellbeing can have detrimental effects on both individuals and businesses. Burnout, stress, and anxiety are common consequences of a high-pressure work environment, leading to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, and higher healthcare costs. Mental health issues can escalate to more serious problems, such as depression or substance abuse, further impacting employee and organizational effectiveness.

No Silver Bullet

Employers around the globe are doing all sorts of things to make their workplaces healthier. While many are well-intentioned and positive, traditional strategies alone aren’t going to solve the mental health crisis many are facing. As stated in an October 2023 Harvard Business Review article entitled The Future of Mental Health at Work Is Safety, Community, and a Healthy Organizational Culture by Bernie Wong and Kelly Greenwood of Mind Share Partners:y, and understanding creates a sense of belonging, loyalty and resiliency among employees, leading to higher performance and job satisfaction, and lower turnover rates.

“There will never be a one-size-fits-all vision of what a mentally healthy workplace looks like. Achieving this requires a collective re-envisioning of what workplace mental health means to everyone in the organization — leaders and workers alike — tailored to its size, stage, industry, region, individual roles, and more.”

A Place to Start

To identify the best practices for your workplace, start talking to your people and identifying strategies that support your unique business. While no single strategy will solve all your challenges, these are a good place to start.

Talk about mental health. Foster a work environment where employees feel comfortable talking openly about their mental health concerns. Continually communicate that your culture values employee wellbeing more than overtime. This starts with leadership.

Lead by example. If your culture rewards over-working and views taking time off as a sign of weakness or laziness, work to change perceptions. Employees need to feel they aren’t going to be punished (even silently) for taking time off. Ask leaders to lead by example by prioritizing their own mental health and taking regular breaks.

Check in. Regularly check in with your employees to assess their wellbeing and address challenges they may be facing. Burnout can be caused by many things - unsustainable workloads, perceived lack of control, insufficient rewards for effort, lack of a supportive community, lack of fairness, and mismatched values and skills. By actively listening to your employees' needs and concerns, you can create a workplace that empowers individuals to thrive both personally and professionally.

Enforce time away. Make taking regular vacations an expectation and enforce it. Time away from work provides an opportunity for rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation, allowing employees to recharge and return to work with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Read more about the benefits of regular breaks in our previous blogs, Making the Most of Paid Time Off: The Importance of Using Your Vacation Time and Why Vacations are Good for Productivity.

Implement policies that promote balance. If your workplace is able, implementing things like flexible scheduling and remote work options can go a long way to employees balancing their workload and managing their levels of stress and burnout.

Establishing a mentally healthy workplace doesn’t happen by accident. It requires commitment, deliberate actions, and open communication. If you’d like support in improving your efforts, our Human Resources Consulting practice has HR pros who can help.

For more information about how we can help you and how to get started, find us here.