Employee Mental Health and Psychological Safety – What Employers can do 

Employee wellness started with the occupational health legislation in the US in 1864 with the introduction of the Pennsylvania Mine Safety Act. As the western countries got caught in the industrialization phase, they brought in varied laws and regulations to help enhance the workplace environment. But, when the industrial to digital economy transformation started, the actual awareness about workplace wellness caught up. It is not just the state of affairs in an advanced economy like the US but all across the globe, including a growing economy like India. Thankfully, due to the concerted efforts of employers all around, the gamut of employee wellness has widened and strengthened. In the 21st century, safety-related threats and risks to physical health are comparatively reduced. However, one grey area that still exists is mental health.  

It is imperative that employee mental wellbeing issues be addressed at the workplace. More so as multiple research points towards organizational culture being the biggest roadblock for a stress-free life of employees. These days, a welcome trend in the HR niche is about companies not just offering insurance coverage to employees or ensuring that the safety regulations are adhered to! They are doing much more. The latest endeavor, especially post Covid-19, is to offer employees a supportive ecosystem focused on psychological safety. But unfortunately, things are still at a nascent stage. And there are more failure stories than successes. Some studies point that the new-age corporate wellness programs usually may not be as holistic as they should be. It brings us to the question: 

 

Why do Employee wellness programs fail even with employers’ best interest and sincere attempts?  

In a study by the International Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA), it was reported that about 97% of US-based companies employing 5,000+ employees are now offering employee assistance programs to their employees who are facing mental health issues and wish to consult with a mental health professional. The sad part is that not many employees use this service. The reason – the majority of employees are not aware of or have information about such services. So, one of the probable reasons behind the failure of employee wellness programs is the lack of information amongst end-users.  

Employee wellness programs should be integrative and offer comprehensive physical and mental health coverage. However, many programs tend to alienate employees who are sick and are dealing with health issues, especially mental health. Simply offering health insurance or compliance with health regulations in the workplace may not be enough in this decade. Even in the employee’s best interest, many wellness programs are aligned with the already-healthy employees. It leads to distancing individuals who are struggling with mental health issues.  

Mental health issues exist, and employers need to acknowledge the same. Mental health training is proving to be an effective way of bridging this gap. 

 

Mental health training programs 

Employee mental health is essential for sound company culture. Stress and depression can distract employees. It can be consuming most of their energy and time. WHO estimates that mental health costs companies globally up to USD 1 trillion every year. Offering mental health education and training helps improve performance and productivity. The focus should be to help employees at different levels understand when and how to seek emotional support. And, also be aware of what their employers offer. Leaders should help create an open environment where ignorance is not bliss – being aware is. Also, openness and education about mental health can help deal with the social stigma attached to mental health.  

Let’s look at what can be achieved from mental health training programs: 

1. Being aware of one’s problems – a well-conceptualized and comprehensive program helps employees at all levels. It gives them the words and the confidence to seek support.
2. Identifying someone in the team who is experiencing a crisis – the program helps increase awareness levels about mental health in other employees. It is a good way to help decrease the stigma associated with mental health. More than that, employees are equipped to identify someone suffering from such issues and give them the support, show compassion, etc., to deal with the situation. 
3. Empower managers to offer help – managers play a crucial role in ensuring that the workplace culture is healthy and empathetic. With mental health training programs, managers are trained to identify and empower them to help the stressed team member productively.  
4. Information – such training programs also keep employees informed about the corporate HR policies, their rights, the route map for seeking professional help, etc.  

 

What are the other ways to support mental health training programs? 

Simply organizing training programs may not suffice. End-to-end commitment is required from employers. Here are some additional ways that employers can address employee mental health issues: 

1. Encouraging a compassionate company culture 

Make compassion an essential aspect of organizational culture. Let colleagues, peers, and leaders be available emotionally to offer help and support. Care and understanding can make a difference. Not just for employees who are stressed or depressed, a compassionate environment is known to support innovation and improve productivity. The organization can gain a credible reputation in the market as an employer that can impact its retention policy. It helps attract talented workers. Thus, practicing genuine compassion helps weave a win-win situation for both employees and employers. 

 

2. Empower leaders to build trust

Prepare leaders to accept their vulnerabilities, and share their experiences to build the team trust factor. When managers talk about their struggles and mental health, the rest of the team feels empowered to discuss their shortcomings and challenges. As mentioned earlier, team leaders and managers have an important role. Compassion from the leader can enhance trustworthiness in the team. Similarly, when leaders take responsibility for wrongdoing, they set an example for others. When they identify and empathize with a team member struggling with a mental issue, the team members feel empowered to follow in their path. 

 

 3. Workplace policies  

Weaving flexible workplace policies can boost employee mental health. Offer paid and unpaid leaves to employees to take a break and deal with their mental health challenges. Giving the individual a choice to decide to foster their issues by offering a flexible workplace can help a lot. Motivating such people to take a break, prioritize their health and invest time in themselves should be a part of the organizational culture. HR and team leaders have a big role to play here. Promote and encourage conversations around mental health to remove the stigma. Sharing stories is a brilliant idea. Considering that face-to-face interactions are limited today, investing in a digital platform offering dashboards where employees can come forward and narrate how the company policies and plans have helped them overcome their issues can be considered. Many people often are aware of policies but do not want to try them because of stigma or are not sure if they can gain from such programs. Sharing stories give them the confidence to do so.

 

 4. Mental health Policies  

Create transparent mental health policies wherein mental health coverage can be included. Lack of information is a major issue. Employers need to keep their employees abreast with the latest changes to wellness programs, insurance coverages, etc., so that the one who needs help can use such programs effectively. Amending employee safety guidelines or including different plans for wellness on paper will not give results if the information is not disseminated across the entire network. 

 

5. Tools 

Empowering employees with tools that help them get over everyday stress is a wonderful way to offer end-to-end support. Taking the help of mental health apps that offer meditation, sound therapy, breathing exercise, etc., can be a great idea. 

 

 6. Peer group support 

Colleagues need to come forward to offer support to a mentally or emotionally distressed peer. It is termed interpersonal work. Being available, taking time to listen to someone troubled, trying to find out more about the problem, responding responsibly, encouraging a colleague to share and come out, and more. All these can be done at an interpersonal level, just like one would do for a family member or a friend. Even without a mental health training workshop, peers can keep a lookout for individuals who seem to be suffering silently and offer help. 

 

Employee wellness is incomplete without addressing mental health concerns. It is time for employers to take the lead and innovate ideas and policies to prevent burnout issues. Especially after Covid-19, this becomes even more significant. The first step is to choose mediums to help employees identify, come out and share their mental health issues. Taking this step with an innovative platform can make the process seamless.  

Letsbuzz is one such digitized platform where employees and leaders can share stories, applaud colleagues who have overcome depression, encourage and pep someone with a possible condition comprehensively. Since the support from team leaders and managers count a lot, the platform, which has multi-faceted features, can be synced smoothly to strengthen your employee wellness initiatives.