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Mental Health In The Workplace

Forbes Human Resources Council

Clarissa Windham-Bradstock is CEO/Chief People Officer of Any Lab Test Now, a leading national retail healthcare and lab testing franchise.

There are plenty of reasons to be stressed out right now. Turn on the news, read your phone alerts, skim the headlines or scroll through your social media feeds—we are bombarded with mental health triggers.

Just look at what we’re facing collectively as a society: a three-year, constant health threat with fluctuating Covid-19 variant numbers, economic uncertainty, higher prices at the pumps and grocery stores, plus alarming numbers of shootings all over the country. These are tough realities to shoulder. That’s not even scratching the surface of what most of us are likely facing at home and at work.

It’s no wonder mental health has reached a crisis stage in the United States, prompting even the White House to create a strategy to combat it. Recent stats show that depression is climbing since the onset of the pandemic, affecting one in every three American adults.

More of us are carrying this burden into every aspect of life, including work. Reaching the breaking point with burnout and stress was the reason many opted to leave their jobs, prompting the Great Resignation that transpired in pandemic year one. Now into our third year, mental health concerns are eliciting a proactive response from employers. Why? For starters, most employers cannot afford to lose any more workers.

Count yourself as a pioneer in this new frontier. Never before have companies found it necessary to incorporate mental health strategies into their long-term planning. We have new challenges in the new world. We are truly living in unprecedented times, much of which has been instigated by the pandemic.

All hands are raised with questions about how their company is going to support employee mental health. Mind you, this is not all about HR providing better mental health benefits in the company insurance package, although comprehensive mental health benefits are seen as a necessity and not a perk. Certainly, this is a good first step, but there’s a whole staircase to climb here.

How Bad Is The Problem?

The numbers are eye-opening. In the report "Mind the Workplace: Employer Responsibility to Employee Mental Health," Mental Health America found that employees surveyed say that workplace stress affects their relationships with family, friends and co-workers. This is cited as among the biggest reasons that 56% of workers are looking for a new job compared to 40% of those polled four years ago.

Stress in the workplace decreases employee effectiveness and productivity due to concentration issues. It is now the responsibility of employers to address the mental well-being of employees, especially since workplace stress is, in many cases, the culprit. Employees are reevaluating their priorities, and if they cannot achieve a good work-life balance, they are looking toward where the grass is greener.

How Do We Solve It?

The numbers don’t lie; they indicate a problem that needs solving. Awareness is the first part of the solution. I can’t help but actually be pleased that we are privy to reports like this because it means we’re finally talking about an issue that needs to be discussed. Mental health in the workplace is not a new problem—it’s just reached a critical state, and we must address it.

Creating A Mental Health Strategy

Your company needs to create a positive environment that promotes well-being, and that means investment from all levels:

• Prioritize customization. Your company’s mental health plan needs to be flexible and customized. Look at this strategy as a fluid situation, changing and adapting to your workplace. When creating a healthy workplace, employees need to feel supported.

• Make this an investment. Your workforce needs to understand that leadership sees the problem and is working to make improvements. Better company culture starts when employees feel that they are heard and valued.

• Educate your staff. Consider mental health training for all employees so everyone can identify signs of stress and burnout. From a leadership perspective, managers will need to fully understand the scope of the problem to be supportive. This should be part of your inclusion and equity plan.

• Communication is the key. For too long, mental health has had stigmas attached to it. Bringing it out in the open dispels the uncomfortable barriers. First, as a leadership team, have discussions with employees to uncover and identify the issues in your workplace. Once you pinpoint concerns, you can tailor a plan and communicate the goals at all levels.

• Identify tools that are at your employees’ disposal. Many workplaces are seeing great success with PTO. You need to clearly define what paid time off means at your company. Perhaps you’ve considered having mental health assistance available to employees as well. This, too, should be communicated as a tool at their disposal. Supporting a healthy work-life balance will retain workers and make it attractive for prospective hires.

Let’s remember we’re all human. You are part of your company’s workforce—you may also be facing mental health issues. Keep it real. To be a forward-thinking boss, earn respect by humanizing yourself. Talk to staff about the stress you feel. Company culture changes can start with you. Take the lead.


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