Strategic solutions

When we feel good mentally, we are better positioned to manage other areas of wellbeing. Keeping employees and their families physically healthy, financially stable, and socially connected are necessary aspects of a high-performing culture. Below are six ways for employers to take action and support employees:

Lose the stigma – Three tips for removing the stigma around mental health include mindfulness of language used when discussing mental health, placing equal value on mental health initiatives as physical health and finally, training your employees and leadership to be vigilant. It's important for all team members to know the signs if an employee or peer is struggling or in crisis, and more importantly, what to do.
Conduct an organizational assessment – Assess your company culture, from leadership to communication strategy, finding areas of opportunity. Once you conduct an inventory of the current programs available, and gather employee feedback, you can prioritize areas of need based on employee needs, interests and gaps in support for total wellbeing and your unique workforce demographic.
Create focus groups – Facilitate focus groups to allow employees to offer informal feedback related to company culture, support and benefits they want and value, and expectations from their employer.
Emphasize employee education – Educate employees on mental health resources available to them and how to access these resources. Often, there are free options available within traditional health plans. Provide support through existing resources, internal initiatives, and third-party vendors where necessary. Different types of education that can help increase wellbeing include, cognitive training (resiliency, memory, focus, and coping), clinical and behavioral therapy, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion trainings and enhancing social connectivity among employees.
Create a custom communication strategy – Consider revamping your communications strategy to reach a remote workforce if applicable and to get your messages across in a more personalized way. Be thoughtful about your demographics and communicate in modalities that are meaningful and relevant.
Conduct leadership and management training – One of the biggest reasons employees leave a job is their manager. Equip your managers to be an asset to the job by offering general leadership and development training, along with specialized areas of focus such as supporting employees' total wellbeing and mental health.

Supporting mental health in the workplace enables employees to perform at their best and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Employers are responsible for designing informed strategies and fostering an environment conducive to positive wellbeing.

Instant Insights /

Employee mental health in the workplace: What employers can do to help

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