At work, we all have days where we feel overwhelmed, lacking motivation or just feel completely drained. It鈥檚 normal, even in jobs that we enjoy and are happy in most of the time.
Work itself can become a challenge when deadlines start piling up and inboxes are flooded first thing in the morning. Now add personal difficulties like health issues or family stress to the mix. It鈥檚 a recipe for disaster.
It鈥檚 no surprise that when employees are struggling with their mental health, their productivity will naturally take a dive. Given that this directly impacts the business, it鈥檚 crucial for companies to start prioritising their employees鈥� wellbeing. And HR has a major role to play in this.
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Why Mental Health At Work Matters
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Mental health is overlooked a lot of the time, but it influences the way we think, act and feel. It also greatly affects the way people deal with stressful situations and make decisions. So if somebody is struggling mentally, it鈥檚 easy to see why it would spill over into the different areas of their lives including work.
In fact, the World Health Organisation reported that depression and anxiety cost the global economy around $1 trillion every year due to lost productivity. Another survey showed that employees who feel unsupported at work are more likely to be disengaged at work and take a lot of time off, even possibly quitting altogether.
So given the serious nature of these statistics, it鈥檚 evident that mental health is not solely a personal issue. It鈥檚 very much a business one too.
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Where Does HR Come In?
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A company鈥檚 Human Resources department is equally as responsible for their employees鈥� wellbeing as they are for setting out policies and paperwork.
It鈥檚 up to HR departments to outline what the company culture should look like. And more importantly, to ensure that every employee feels supported and part of that culture.
Just having an open-door policy where employees can come in and express their struggles can go a long way in creating a healthy work environment.
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How Can HR Support Employees And Their Mental Health?
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It鈥檚 been proven time and time again that when employees are mentally healthy, they can perform at their best. They鈥檙e more engaged, more creative and invested in the company and its goals. In other words, they鈥檙e less likely to run out the door when things get tough.
So how can HR teams take a proactive approach to mental wellness? Let鈥檚 get into it.
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Create A Culture Of Openness
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The first step, and probably the most critical one, in supporting mental health is letting employees know that it鈥檚 very much okay to talk about it. Most people won鈥檛 share how they feel and what they are experiencing because they鈥檙e afraid to be judged or ignored.
It鈥檚 really up to HR to create an environment of safety where everyone can feel comfortable to discuss their struggles. Whether it鈥檚 celebrating things like World Mental Health Day or getting top management to share their own experiences, it creates an inclusive environment where vulnerability is welcomed.
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Teach Managers To See The Warning Signs
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A lot of employees feel that management don鈥檛 seem to understand their struggles with mental health or even worse, don鈥檛 care about it. In reality, managers haven鈥檛 actually been trained to pick up the signs of struggle. And if they can鈥檛 see it, they definitely can鈥檛 do anything about it.
However, HR teams can do things like running workshops on signs of distress such as missing deadlines and irritability and teach them how to have the supportive conversations.
Managers are usually the first line of defence so it鈥檚 crucial for them to know how to respond accurately.
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Offer Access To Support And Resources
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When an employee does approach HR with an issue, it鈥檚 so important to have helpful resources on-hand. Nowadays, a lot of companies are offering to pay for mental health treatment as part of their health insurance plans to let employees know they have real support.
Additionally, there are loads of mental wellness apps out there that HR can encourage employees to use. These will give them direct access to support tools and guides on managing stress.
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Provide Flexible Work Environments
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The traditional 9-to-5 鈥渁lways at your desk鈥� culture is starting to fade and it鈥檚 really not a bad thing. Employees want flexibility and a healthy work-life balance and it鈥檚 up to HR to enforce that. It all comes down to when people feel like they are more in control, they鈥檙e less likely to burnout.
Whether it鈥檚 flexible working hours or hybrid setups with wellness rooms at the office, people want to be in an environment where they can do their best but without sacrificing their mental health.
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Listen And Regularly Check In
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Waiting for an employee to approach first for help isn鈥檛 always the best strategy. It鈥檚 on HR to regularly check in with employees through anonymous mental health surveys and monitor things like absenteeism to spot the signs early on.
This way, preventative measures can be taken before the issue becomes worse down the line.
Essentially, it鈥檚 HR鈥檚 role to lead the way in creating supportive environments and giving employees the best chance at performing while staying mentally healthy.
