The Ultimate Guide to Supporting Employee Mental Health
Why should employers prioritize mental health in the workplace? Here's a quick snapshot:
One in five adults in the U.S. experience mental illness each year, but only one in three who need help get it.
Depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1 trillion per year in lost productivity.
Nearly 86 percent of employees treated for depression report improved work performance.
Over a third of employees have left a job at least in part due to mental health.
At Stay Here, we understand that caring for mental health isn't just a matter of compassion – it has palpable impacts on the workplace. As businesses around the globe are recognizing, addressing employee mental health needs increases productivity, retention, and bottom line while decreasing health care costs. By embracing strategies that elevate mental health and wellness, employers can foster a culture of understanding and acceptance, while also contributing to their overall business growth.
In this guide, we'll take a comprehensive look at how employers can support their employees' mental health – acknowledging the strains of mental illness, the significance of maintaining a healthy mind, and curating a work environment that promotes mental stability. We'll dive into recommended actions, legal responsibilities, and the crucial role of managers. It's time to acknowledge the importance of mental health in the workplace. Let's begin our journey to understanding and supporting better mental health at work.
Understanding Mental Health: Recognizing Signs and Symptoms
As we continue our journey towards creating a mentally healthy workplace, understand how mental health impacts your employees. Each individual's mental health journey is unique, and it can manifest in various ways. Understanding mental health, specifically recognizing signs and symptoms, is the first step in creating a supportive work environment.
According to our expert, Jacob Coyne at Stay Here, "It’s important for managers to be trained to recognize the signs of emotional distress so they can react in a supportive rather than a punitive way." Recognizing signs of emotional distress isn't always easy, but there are common indicators that can help such as frequent absences, decreased productivity, or a change in behavior.
Depression, one of the most common mental health issues, is a combination of different factors, including genes, background, life circumstances, and psychological factors. It can be triggered by personal situation, a recent or old trauma, any stressful situation, or for no obvious reason at all. Therefore, it's crucial to be aware that mental health issues might not always stem from an apparent cause.
Understanding depression, its triggers, and symptoms can play a vital role in how employers can support mental health. You can start by educating yourself and your team about these mental health issues. At Stay Here, we provide a range of Mental Health Guides that offer friendly and practical information to understand these challenges and how to find help and move forward.
Equipping yourself with this knowledge isn't just about being able to recognize when an employee might be struggling. It's also about fostering an environment where mental health isn't a taboo subject, but rather something that can be openly discussed and addressed.
In the next section, we'll explore the legal responsibilities of employers in protecting employee mental health, so stay tuned! Together, we can create a supportive work environment where everyone feels understood and valued.
Legal Responsibilities of Employers: Protecting Employee Mental Health
As we delve deeper into how employers can support mental health, it's crucial to understand the legal obligations that come with it. In most countries, employers are legally required to ensure a safe and healthy work environment, which includes mental health. But what does this responsibility look like in practice?
Fit for Work: The Law on Mental Health
Firstly, employers must not discriminate against employees based on their mental health status. This is as unacceptable as discrimination related to race, gender, or sexual orientation. This is reflected in legal frameworks such as the Equality Act and Disability Discrimination Act (Northern Ireland). These laws mandate that employers should treat mental health conditions like any physical health condition and provide necessary accommodations for employees who need them.
Reasonable Accommodations: A Duty of Care
Reasonable accommodations can range from flexible work hours to special equipment or software that can help employees perform their tasks more efficiently. For instance, if an employee suffers from anxiety, providing a quiet and distraction-free workspace can be a reasonable accommodation. Similarly, allowing employees to take time off work or providing support for them to return to work after a period of mental health-related absence is another important responsibility of employers.
Encouraging Disclosure: Creating a Safe Space
Employers are also legally obliged to create an environment that encourages disclosure of mental health issues without fear of retaliation or discrimination. This requires a culture that values authenticity and openness, led from the top of the organisation.
While these legal obligations are a critical starting point, they are just that - a starting point. Truly supporting mental health in the workplace goes beyond just fulfilling legal duties. It involves creating a culture of empathy, understanding, and mutual support.
At Stay Here, we believe in creating a world where everyone feels safe to speak up about their mental health. Our founder, Jacob Coyne, has created resources like our ACT Suicide Prevention Training to better equip individuals and organizations with knowledge and tools to provide mental health support.
In the next section, we will explore the key actions employers can take to support mental health in the workplace, so stick around. As an employer, your support can make a world of difference in your employees' mental health journey.
Five Key Actions Employers Can Take to Support Mental Health
As an employer, supporting your employee's mental health is crucial. In fact, it's one of the most impactful ways you can contribute to their overall wellbeing. Our expert at Stay Here, Jacob Coyne, outlines five key steps on how employers can support mental health:
Make Mental Wellness a Priority
The first step is to value mental health and wellbeing as core assets of your organization. This means committing to develop an approach that protects and improves mental health for everyone while supporting those who experience distress. You can do this by designating board champions and ensuring senior leaders and middle managers are responsible for implementing mental health programs. Also, consider making evidence-based mental health promotion tools like mindfulness and exercise available to all staff.
Enhance Available Mental Health Support
Next, focus on enhancing the emotional and mental health benefits available to your employees. This could range from managing stress to treating invisible disabilities like anxiety and depression. By providing direct access to mental health resources, you can help your employees get the help they need when they need it.
Communicate Available Support Effectively
It's not enough to just have mental health support in place; you need to communicate it effectively. A nationwide survey found that what employees want most in the workplace is training and easily accessible information about where to go or who to ask for mental health support. Creating an open culture about mental health at work is crucial.
Create an Inclusive Work Culture
Creating an inclusive work culture is another essential step. This means ensuring that workplace norms support mental well-being, leaders openly talk about their own mental health challenges, and employees are equipped with tools to support each other. It also means addressing and eliminating any discrimination on the grounds of mental health status.
Measure and Meet the Need for Mental Health Support
Finally, you need to measure and meet the need for mental health support. This can be achieved by broadening your target outcomes to include uptake of mental health support, employee satisfaction with the support, and the impact it has on health, productivity, and engagement. Available measurement tools include claims or clinical analysis, employee surveys, focus groups, lived experience panels, and holistic workplace mental health assessment tools.
Taking these actions shows your employees that their mental health matters to you, and it can lead to fewer missed work days, increased productivity, and enhanced employee satisfaction. Your efforts as an employer can significantly impact the mental health of your employees, and at Stay Here, we are committed to providing the resources to help you do that.
Role of Managers in Supporting Employee Mental Health
Managers play a crucial role in fostering a mentally healthy workplace. They're often the first line of defense when it comes to spotting signs of mental health struggles and can provide the necessary support to those dealing with such issues. Let's discuss some of the key areas managers can focus on to support employee mental health.
Building a Culture of Connection through Regular Check-ins
One of the most effective ways managers can support mental health is by fostering a culture of connection through regular check-ins with their team. These check-ins create a space for open dialogue, allowing employees to voice concerns, discuss challenges, and share their thoughts. As the U.S. Surgeon General reported, employees who feel their employer genuinely cares about their well-being report better mental health and higher job satisfaction.
It's not just about work performance. Show interest and concern for the whole employee. After all, we're not just employees, we're people with lives outside of work that can significantly impact our mental health.
Offering Flexibility in Work Hours and Locations
Flexibility is another critical aspect of supporting mental health in the workplace. According to the American Psychological Association's Work and Well-being Survey, 34% of employees say that flexible hours would improve their mental health. By giving employees control over when and where they work, you enhance their sense of autonomy, a significant driver of motivation and emotional well-being.
At Stay Here, we understand the importance of flexibility and encourage employers to consider various work arrangements that fit their employees' needs and the company's operations.
Ensuring Reasonable Workloads and Regularly Assessing Employee Capacity
Lastly, managers must ensure their team members have manageable workloads. Overwhelming or unrealistic workloads can exacerbate underlying mental health issues and lead to burnout. Regularly assessing how employees are handling their current workload during check-ins is crucial.
If an employee is consistently struggling to meet deadlines or seems overwhelmed, it may be time to reassess their workload. It's essential to show empathy and understanding during these discussions. After all, acknowledging mental health in the workplace isn't about adding more stress—it's about reducing it.
At Stay Here, we believe in supporting mental health holistically. Whether it's through our mental health awareness campaigns or our collaboration with The 40, we strive to provide resources and support to those dealing with mental health struggles. Together, we can create a workplace that supports mental health and encourages employees to thrive.
Practical Steps to Create a Mentally Healthy Workplace
To navigate the question of 'how can employers support mental health', we've compiled a list of practical steps that can foster a mentally healthy workplace. These actions are not just beneficial to the employees but also contribute to the overall productivity of the organization.
Increasing Awareness and Educating Leaders to Spot Signs of Mental Illness
Awareness is the first step towards creating a supportive environment. It's vital for employers to understand the importance of mental health and its impact on employees' performance and overall well-being. As highlighted by the U.S. Surgeon General, 84% of employees reported at least one workplace factor affecting their mental health negatively.
To combat this, employers can provide training to leaders and managers, enabling them to recognize signs of mental illness. Symptoms such as a decline in performance, irritable behavior, or lack of engagement may indicate a deeper issue. Education and awareness can lead to timely intervention, avoiding potential crises.
Encouraging Open Communication and Psychological Safety
Communication is essential in addressing mental health concerns. Employees should feel safe to discuss their mental health issues with their supervisors. Regular check-ins and open conversations can contribute to a safe and understanding workplace environment.
Proactively Supporting Overall Well-being: Vacation Days and Mental Health Days
Supporting employees' overall well-being is a proactive way to enhance mental health in the workplace. Encouraging employees to take vacation days and providing mental health days can make a significant difference. These actions not only help employees to rest and recharge, but they also show that the employer values their mental health.
Managing Stress through Well-being Programs and Resources
Stress is a significant risk factor for mental health issues. By incorporating employee well-being programs that focus on managing stress, employers can create a healthier workplace. Offering resources like mindfulness and meditation programs, which are proven to reduce stress, can greatly contribute to employees' well-being.
At Stay Here, we recognize the importance of mental health and strive to provide resources that can help. We offer ACT Suicide Prevention Training and have partnered with THE HOPELINE, a live chat line that has been offering support for over 20 years. Our resources provide much-needed support for those struggling with mental health issues.
Together, we can create a workplace that not only acknowledges mental health but actively works to support it. These practical steps are just the beginning. The journey towards a mentally healthy workplace is ongoing, and every step counts.
The Return on Investment: Benefits of Supporting Employee Mental Health
The benefits of supporting employee mental health stretch beyond the immediate well-being of your team. It's also a strategic business move that can result in significant return on investment.
Financial Benefits
The World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that for every $1 invested in treating common mental health concerns, there is a return of $4 in improved health and productivity. This means that efforts to support employee mental health are not just ethical, they're financially sound too.
In fact, employers see a $4 return on every dollar they invest in mental health treatments according to the National Safety Council.
Boost in Productivity and Retention
Investing in mental health initiatives can lead to increased productivity. Research shows that nearly 86 percent of employees treated for depression report improved work performance. In some studies, treatment of depression has been shown to reduce absenteeism and presenteeism (when employees come to work while dealing with physical or mental health issues) by 40 to 60 percent.
Supporting mental health also aids in employee retention. A 2019 survey found that over a third of respondents left a job due to mental health, with 59 percent stating mental health was the primary reason.
Decreased Healthcare and Disability Costs
By actively supporting mental health, your company can see a decrease in healthcare and disability costs. Adults with serious mental illness have twice the rate of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, leading to increased healthcare costs.
How We Can Help
At Stay Here, we believe that a healthy workforce is the foundation for thriving organizations. Supporting mental health is an investment in your team and your business. That's why we offer resources like our ACT suicide prevention training and mental health guides to help employers understand and address mental health challenges in the workplace.
By taking a proactive approach to mental health, businesses can cultivate a supportive and inclusive work culture that benefits everyone. The cost of doing nothing is higher than investing in evidence-based prevention and treatment. With the right support and resources, your company can become an engine for mental health and well-being, as our founder Jacob Coyne often emphasizes.
Supporting mental health in the workplace is not just about how can employers support mental health, it's about creating a culture that values mental wellbeing as highly as any other aspect of health. It's an investment that pays dividends in both human and financial terms.
How Stay Here Can Help: Suicide Prevention Training and Awareness
At Stay Here, we understand the significance of mental health in the workplace and the important role employers play in supporting it. Our mission is to break the silence, end the stigma, and change the statistics associated with mental health. We offer a range of resources, programs, and courses designed to help employers in their quest to create mentally healthy workplaces.
Our ACT Suicide Prevention Training
Our ACT Suicide Prevention Training is a key resource we offer. This training program is designed to provide employers and employees with the tools necessary to recognize suicide warning signs and effectively intervene. It covers key topics such as how to ask, convince, and take action with someone who may be suicidal, understanding the common causes of suicidal behavior, and guiding someone in crisis towards help. This course takes approximately 45 minutes to complete and has already trained and certified over 31,000 individuals since 2021.
Our founder, Jacob Coyne, emphasizes the importance of such training, stating that “awareness is just a small piece of our overall mission.” This program not only increases awareness but also equips participants with actionable strategies they can use to support colleagues who may be struggling.
Our Mental Health Guides
We also offer Stay Here Guides, which are designed to provide friendly, practical information on a variety of mental health issues. These guides can help both employers and employees understand these challenges and how to find help and move forward. They aim to provide a sense of hope and reassurance for anyone feeling overwhelmed or unsure about how to support mental health in the workplace.
Our Commitment to Community and Support
At Stay Here, we believe strongly in the power of community. We strive to foster an environment where individuals feel less alone and more connected. This sense of community is a key factor in promoting mental well-being, and it's something we encourage employers to foster within their own workplaces.
We're dedicated to providing multiple avenues of support for those in need, from coaching and speaking at assemblies to starting programs in schools and organizations. As we often say, "You are not alone, and we are made for community."
Conclusion
Supporting mental health in the workplace is a significant part of our mission at Stay Here. We believe that by providing suicide prevention training, mental health guides, and a supportive community, we can help employers make a real difference in their employees’ lives. It's not just about how can employers support mental health, it's about creating a culture where mental health is valued and prioritized. If you're interested in learning more about how we can support your workplace, get in touch with us today.
Conclusion: The Path to a Mentally Healthy Workplace
Creating a mentally healthy workplace is not a one-and-done task, but an ongoing commitment made by employers and employees alike. As we've explored in this guide, there are a myriad of actions and strategies that can form the foundation of this journey.
From making mental wellness a priority in your company's culture to ensuring the availability and accessibility of mental health support, the steps we've outlined offer a comprehensive roadmap for employers. It's about more than just understanding how employers can support mental health - it's about fostering an environment where every employee feels seen, heard, and valued.
At Stay Here, we believe in the power of connection and community in combating mental health issues. We offer resources like our Stay Here Guides and ACT Suicide Prevention Training, equipping individuals and organizations with the tools they need to understand, address, and support mental health.
We also recognize the importance of leaders role-modeling healthy behaviors, and our experts like Jacob Coyne can provide insights and advice based on their own experiences.
It's also worth noting the importance of measurement in your mental health initiatives. This includes tracking engagement, measuring the uptake of mental health support, and evaluating the impact of support on health, productivity, and equity. These metrics can offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of your strategies and where improvements can be made.
Finally, your efforts to create a mentally healthy workplace can have a profound impact that extends beyond your employees. It can lead to fewer missed workdays, increased productivity, and greater employee satisfaction and loyalty. More importantly, it sends a powerful message to your employees that their well-being matters.
As we conclude this guide, we want to remind you that the path to a mentally healthy workplace is a journey, and every step you take makes a difference. At Stay Here, we're committed to walking alongside you on this journey, offering resources and support every step of the way.
If you're ready to take the next step in creating a mentally healthy workplace, we encourage you to explore our resources, or reach out to us for more personalized guidance. Together, we can create workplaces where everyone feels supported, respected, and valued.