PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS IN THE WORKPLACE: A MANAGER'S GUIDE
10 years ago, this topic would be sparse. Mental health was seen as a personal issue and deemed ‘unprofessional if you brought it to work. Now it’s a far more accepted topic and companies are making more of an effort to spread awareness… for the most part.
You may be an employer who wants to make a change for the benefit of your employees but you don’t know where to start. The fact of the matter is: it’s a conversation we can no longer afford to ignore and whilst it can feel like an overwhelming thing to prioritise, there are so many small things that can make a big impact.
But how? What can persuade you enough to take mental health in the workplace seriously? Well, if you’re a good human, that’s a perfectly good reason to want to support the very people who work for you 40 hours a week, but also fostering an environment that promotes mental health is actually a strategic investment in your team's engagement and productivity.
A win-win.
CHALLENGE YOUR TABOOS
Before implementing any strategies or incentives, it's crucial to challenge your taboos surrounding the topic.
Educate yourself and your management team and recognise that mental health deserves the same empathetic response as physical health. We’re quick to offer a day off and extra support to someone recovering from an illness, but hesitant to do anything at all for someone who is struggling mentally.
You want your employees to feel seen, heard, and supported in every aspect; mental health is a key component of that.
IMPLEMENT HR POLICIES THAT ENCOURAGE WELLBEING
One of the most impactful ways to bring awareness to mental health is by working with HR to develop policies and benefits that prioritise employee wellbeing. Not only does it give stability and assurance by firmly setting things in place, but it also sends a clear message to your employees that you value mental health just as much as anything else.
Some policies to implement could be:
Flexible working hours & hybrid working
Access to wellbeing discounts (gym membership, counselling etc.)
Mental health days
Menstruation and menopause support
WELLBEING 1-1 CATCHUPS
One great way to show your care for your employee’s mental health is by catching up with them every so often… not about work strategies and not super formal – simply to talk about how they’re feeling at work and how you can be of support.
There’s nothing wrong with work-dedicated 1-1 catchups and in fact, these show your employees you care about the development. However, how employees feel about their jobs will determine how productive and innovative they are when working.
In these catchups, you could talk about:
Workload
Challenges
The company culture
Overall satisfaction
Management
And if they feel comfortable – their mental health.
This could be a catchup run by a HR leader who is very involved in the team, or their line Manager. Either way, you want to ensure it’s with someone they have built trust with so it doesn’t feel forced.
- Written by Tim Macmillan
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