As we’ve started to emerge from the pandemic, mental wellness within the workplace has come to light. Close to half of all Americans believe their mental wellness has been negatively impacted by the last few years.
As such, the workplace is known as a key location where activities can either improve or hinder employee wellbeing. There are fairly obvious gains that can be made from a positive workplace such as enhanced employee morale, performance, and better retention.
Mental wellness is a serious issue that shouldn’t be overlooked. We all have responsibilities to check in on each other as well as our employees. Some common signs to consider that an employee might be struggling are:
- Lower productivity and performance
- Unexplained and more frequent absences
- Missed deadlines
- Appearing disengaged
- Negative commentary
- Appearing unmotivated
In this post, we look at how organizations and their managers can better understand and support employees’ wellness as well as why employee wellness matters.
1. Promote Employee Wellbeing
Company culture reigns strong across staff and the public alike. Having a positive culture that promotes employee engagement and well-being will always yield a positive effect. The first change should be made within the leadership team as everyone needs to be on board and committed to the change. Employees will notice the changes and this is often perceived as breaking down barriers to management.
Within the company culture, a healthy work/life balance always boosts morale and wellness. This not only allows staff to remain active and focused but allows for healthy working habits. Don’t forget, that leaders and managers need to mirror these habits.
The organization needs to ensure these company programs are in place by promoting a healthy environment for employees. Be sure to ask and check in with employees to make sure the culture continues to promote a positive, healthy work environment.
2. Invest in Your Leaders and Development
Ensure your leaders are trained with the knowledge and have resources available for employees who may realize that they need support.
Continue surveying your employees, or begin if you haven’t started, to learn about how they best feel supported at work. Providing both professional and personal development opportunities to managers allows them to build integrity and trust. Having dedicated practice around monitoring employee wellness, such as signs to look for and what to watch, will allow for confidence in addressing such situations with team members.
Keep in mind not all training and development costs a significant amount of money. Try employee pairing, where a senior leader can utilize workplace mentorship to gain insights and knowledge. These small steps can help improve wellbeing and employee engagement.
3. Provide Easy Access to Resources
What do the current mental wellness resources currently look like at your organization? Assess the resources on a regular basis and remove any hurdles that might prevent ease of access.
Some examples include wellness stipends to encourage overall wellness, access to wellness apps, implemented focus groups, or even an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which can offer employees and their families articles, webinars, and everyday tips to handle issues.
If you have an internal communication tool like Slack or Teams, you can easily set up a channel to create groups for the organization. Don’t be afraid to take things offline, too!
4. Check-In Regularly with Your Employees
It starts with promoting employee wellness within the organization and asking staff what they want and need. Employee surveys and frequent check-ins have proven a great way to gain this insight. Don’t forget though, that anonymity can be key to getting honest and open employee feedback.
Far too many organizations falter on this and don’t provide regular check-ins. The frequency of interactions between managers and their teams should be consistent.
Outside of surveys and updates, a simple greeting or caring gesture can work wonders. Taking a quick second away from your desk can show care, support, and interest in how that individual is doing. No planning is required, just utilize a few moments of your time to improve your employee’s health.
5. Avoid the ‘One and Done’ Approach
As an organization, leader, and manager you have to avoid a ‘one and done’ approach. If talking about mental health isn’t a regular occurrence in your organization, then consider ways to keep building on the conversation by creating action plans and resources for employees.
Ask employees what they want and what they need. Have them offer suggestions about how things can be improved. Most importantly, make sure there is regular (open) communication and involvement. Ensure mental wellness is included in the company culture and the practices to promote it are consistently met.
While it takes some planning, having regular check-in, events, or even discussions can help as little as one person who is struggling or underperforming, ultimately helping your team and bottom line.
Summary
There will never be a perfect, one-size-fits-all solution for every organization as needs vary across industries, workforce, and sizes. It’s a positive sign if you’re reading this and shows you want to take the steps to improve your organization’s mental wellness and employee outlook.
By researching and educating on your best options, you’re taking steps to improve your current situation. While some of our tips require time and planning, there are others that can be implemented immediately to begin a positive change.
Keep in mind these changes won’t happen overnight. But as we mentioned, consistent and clear dedication to the wellness of your employees will yield positive results through increased productivity, better engagement, and better morale.
PassPoint is a workforce management tool that not only saves you time and money and was built for the struggle many teams are facing. Our survey features allow you to gain the powerful insights you need to take action right away. At our core, we’re a real-time data analytics platform designed to make your employees more productive – all on autopilot.
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