How Employers Can Promote Mental Health in the Workplace

The mental health of a company’s employees can directly affect employee satisfaction, productivity, working relationships, recruitment, and retention. Mental health is an increasingly important aspect in the workplace, where more and more employers are focusing efforts on prioritizing employee mental health. Employers are investing time and money into practices and programs to assist employees and promote mental health awareness. Strategies such as schedule flexibility, supervisor check ins, and Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) can be great resources for employers.

What is Mental Health and Why is it Important?

Mental health is a state of mental well-being that is made up of one’s psychological, emotional, and social components. When individuals are struggling with one or more components of their mental health, whether that be psychological, emotional, social, or a combination thereof, it can affect their mood and ability to complete their day-to-day tasks. Not only is promoting good mental health crucial for individuals, it is also important for employers to keep employee mental health in mind. Poor employee mental health can result in poor working relationships, low productivity, and turnover, all of which negatively affect a company’s revenue and profitability. Making sure employees are in good mental health is important for the individuals themselves, but equally important for the success of the company as a whole. 

What Can Poor Mental Health Look Like in the Workplace?

Mental health looks different to everyone, which can make it difficult for employers to create a one-size-fits-all solution to promote mental health.

In the workplace, poor mental health can be due to stress, frustration, or even personal issues. These factors often present themselves in different ways. Poor mental health could be presented in any variety of ways, such as irritability, tardiness, absenteeism, or there may not be any noticeable symptoms at all. It is difficult to know when employees are struggling with their mental health. This is why it is so important for employers to implement programs that allow employees to promote positive mental health.

Strategies to Promote Mental Health

There are a number of potential strategies that employers can consider adopting to help promote mental health, including but not limited to: schedule flexibility; supervisor check ins; and Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). These are just a few strategies that can potentially be great resources for employers when it comes to supporting the mental health of their employees.

• Schedule Flexibility – Allowing employees to have more job flexibility is a great way to promote positive mental health. This can be in the form of flexible hours or even some remote work opportunities. If an employee is struggling with workplace stressors, whether that be in the form of coworkers or other environmental factors, allowing them the ability to complete their duties from their home can help improve the issue. Whether for an afternoon or a week, allowing employees to complete their duties outside of their office environment can yield success. Schedule flexibility is an increasingly popular and relatively low-cost option that can be used to promote positive mental health.
• Supervisor Check-Ins – Often employees can feel unappreciated and develop poor job satisfaction due to a lack of acknowledgement from their supervisor. When employees are struggling with a lack of appreciation, setting up a regular supervisor check in or discussion can reinstitute employee engagement. These discussions could be weekly, biweekly, or monthly, depending on the individual. During these discussions, supervisors could discuss any outstanding issues, possible solutions, or career paths. These check-ins are a great and cost-effective way to support an employee’s mental health.
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) – An EAP is a voluntary, work-based program that is designed to help employees address a variety of personal or professional issues that they may be experiencing. EAPs are designed to help employees get confidential, professional support for their personal or professional issues. Things that an EAP can assist with can include but are not limited to: health issues; financial issues; stress management; social and family issues; substance abuse; and mental health counseling.

Employee recruitment and retention can be difficult. It is important to support current employees by offering resources that allow them to prioritize their mental well-being. Since mental health cannot be looked at using a one-size-fits-all approach, it is important to consider implementing multiple practices that employees can utilize to better themselves.

Health Insurance Quotes

As Employee Assistance Programs become more prevalent, they can be used as a great recruitment and retention tool for employers. Cross Insurance can help you explore your options in the EAP market. For more information on employee benefits coverages for your business, including EAPs, health insurance, life insurance, and disability coverage, contact your local Cross Insurance today.

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This article is for general informational purposes only and is not to be relied upon or used for any particular purpose. Cross Insurance shall not be held responsible in any way for, and specifically disclaims any liability arising out of or in any way connected to, reliance on or use of any of the information contained in this article. The information contained or referenced in this article is not intended to constitute and should not be considered legal, insurance, accounting or other professional advice, nor shall it serve as a substitute for the recipient obtaining such advice. The views expressed in this article are that of its author and do not necessarily represent the views of Cross Financial Corp. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (“Cross Insurance”) or Cross Insurance’s management or shareholders.