How to Support Employees’ Mental Health

Since COVID-19 plagued the world, the number of global employees struggling with mental health has been on the rise. In fact, early sources reported that nearly 42% of respondents had experienced some form of mental decline since the pandemic’s outbreak.

This is likely due to the amount of stress and anxiety initially present in March of 2020. While many of these feelings have been situated, the pandemic still lingers in the back of everyone’s mind. And it’s likely to have had long-term effects on mental health that weren’t initially considered.

Focusing on mental health in the workplace is imperative in today’s society. Beyond COVID-19, we all have our struggles, which can affect how we manage our work. If we can garner support in those struggles, chances are we’re more likely to succeed in all areas of life, including our jobs.

But what can a business do to support employees’ mental health? Throughout this article, we’ll identify 8 practices your company can implement.

1.) Be a Model for Healthy Behavior

If you’re a manager or in charge of a team, you can’t just simply support mental health. You also have to be an example for employees in showing how to develop boundaries and prioritize self-care.

It’s natural for a leader to be hyperfocused on their team’s well-being that they forget to take care of themselves. But ensuring your mental health is in the right place is the first step towards handling others.

In most cases, a person in your position has likely developed some practices to ease stress throughout the day. For example, you may take a walk in the sunlight or meditate in your office.

No matter your case, it can help to be open about these habits while practicing them openly. It will give your employees a model for the kind of activities you expect if they’re feeling burnt out.

2.) It’s Okay to Be Vulnerable

Going along our last point, one of the most important aspects of being open with your employees is revealing your vulnerabilities. Through this, you’re normalizing that we all experience mental health challenges.

Beyond decreasing stigma, you’re also opening the doors for employees to feel more content in discussing their mental health with you.

This is essential for making yourself appear more like a human being and less like an authoritative figure. Research reveals that vulnerability can improve employee trust, engagement, and performance.

But how do you go about being vulnerable with employees? There are several ways, as we’ll get to below.

3.) Check-In with Employees

The first step is checking in with an employee one-on-one. This gives you the opportunity to see where their headspace is at - both in terms of the company and themselves.

It can help to ask specific questions - especially those tailored to the employee. However, it’s just as important to let employees speak and for you to listen with questions and concerns. If done correctly, this can be a great way to develop trust.

Furthermore, check-ins give you the opportunity to reveal some of your vulnerabilities one-on-one with employees. You may find they’re struggling with something you’ve also dealt with. Or that their challenges are similar to your current ones.

Regardless, the most important thing is to give your team members a space where they feel comfortable revealing sensitivities.

4.) Be Flexible with Employees

In order to allow employees to work on their mental health, it’s key to give them flexibility in several ways. This may mean allowing them to set their own schedules, work fewer hours, or allow for more time off.

Flexibilities should be personalized - not everyone is experiencing the same mental health challenges. For example, you may have an employee whose responsibilities include their children. As a result, they’ll likely need certain time off in comparison to someone who may be struggling with an anxiety disorder.

In order to get an idea of any flexibilities your employees may need, it can help to learn about their struggles through the check-ins. However, as we’ll get to in a few points, you may also need to be flexible with the company as a whole.

5.) Always Communicate

The key to mental health is communication. If you can identify where you and your employees struggle, you’ll have a much easier time figuring out solutions to problems.

This goes beyond just check-ins. It means being completely transparent with employees when your company undergoes changes or updates. It also means identifying stresses in your workplace, removing them, and acknowledging any previous mistakes.

Furthermore, it’s essential for your team to understand where mental health resources are available to them. One study found that nearly 46% of all workers did not proactively share these resources.

6.) Train Employees Properly

Training employees doesn’t just ensure they’ll do the job right. It means proactively preparing them for various positions - leadership, management, or contribution.

How you go about mental health training can vary. However, the most important thing you can do is reduce the stigma within your workplace. Furthermore, you can also properly provide employees with the right tools and skills to overcome certain challenges.

There are mental health employee resource groups available at a low cost. If you have the extra funds, we recommend looking into these.

7.) Change Outdated Policies

If you find several employees approaching you with similar stresses, it can help to find the problem and provide them with a new solution. Unfortunately, this usually means updated outdated policies and practices.

This isn’t a bad thing - since COVID-19, the workplace has changed considerably. And not all employers are aware of these changes.

It can help to receive employee feedback directly - whether through check-ins or performance reviews. You can also send a mass email to your employees to better understand their problems with the company.

8.) Take Surveys

However, surveys are the most effective way to get the feedback you’re looking for. These will allow you to identify specific problems employees may have and receive a measured answer to how much they’re struggling.

Through these surveys, you should ask questions concerning whether or not the company needs new programs if there’s more flexibility to be had, and what areas of the company are causing the most stress to employees.

Final Word

Ensuring that your company is mentally healthy isn’t just beneficial to your employees; it will also result in receiving high-quality production. Not to mention, you maintain employees while also attracting top talent.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can help your employees, we invite you to book a consultation with the New England Agency today!