The mental health and welfare of employees have never been more at danger or more crucial for companies to invest in at this period of history that is experiencing fast change, uncertainty, and stress.
All of us suffer from the effects of living in an unpredictable, fast changing world, particularly in terms of our mental health. We are all aware that we cannot be our best selves at home or at work when we lack mental fortitude.
It explains why almost 40% of workers want their bosses to bring up mental health at work, according to a recent Pew Research Center research. Younger generations in particular view this as a means by which businesses may truly support employees and enhance retention.
Just one in five employees feel comfortable raising mental health concerns with their HR teams, which is another finding of the Pew study that demonstrates a lack of trust between employees and their employers.
The CEO and founder of Bundle Benefits, Kayla Lebovits, notes that much progress has been made in recent years to de-stigmatize conversations around mental health. Lebovits claims that despite efforts to encourage mental health by offering tools for outside assistance, many people continue to be afraid of being perceived as vulnerable if they are open with their employers about their mental health. This may make individuals more vulnerable to being let go, less likely to be offered a promotion or job chances, or have other unfavorable effects.
Convincing people that their bosses care about them and are interested in both their wellness and future success is a crucial first step in building a safe atmosphere where workers may thrive.
Reevaluating their perks and policies to match with and encourage increased wellbeing and mental health in the workplace is a big area where employers can demonstrate that they actually care about their staff.
As Lebovits points out, “access to one-on-one wellbeing sessions, mental health counseling, telehealth services, and other policies are great first steps. However, it’s important to note that supporting total wellness in an impactful way necessitates more than simply addressing the symptoms of burnout. People need their employers to address burnout problems at their source, which necessitates giving your workers ongoing chances to learn and develop both inside and outside of the workplace.
Another change businesses may make is to start focusing on the “whole wellbeing” of their staff, which is the general state of a person’s health and happiness—both physical and mental.
“Individuals can achieve personal or professional wellbeing and find greater satisfaction in their lives and careers when they are taking care of themselves, or have access to the resources to do so,” says Lebovits. According to data, workers perform better when they believe their employers are eager to look out for them.
That means that firms need to place their employees’ welfare at the centre of their company strategy if they want to maintain a competitive talent and business edge. Failure to prioritize this can have a negative effect on revenue, customer service, sales, safety, and other factors.
“Remember, professional wellbeing is a journey, not a destination,” advises Lebovits. “Be sure to make time for self-reflection and check-ins along the route.” When growth and improvement aren’t happening as rapidly as one might anticipate, it’s crucial to acknowledge the progress.
Empathizing with younger generations
Companies must also take into account the possibility that younger workers may experience greater difficulties with their physical and mental health than their older counterparts. Their constant connection to technology has contributed to the idea that they must be online and connected, which increases stress and burnout.
Employees from the younger generations may experience heavier workloads, compressed deadlines, and higher performance pressure at work due to the talent shortage. They are probably also dealing with financial difficulties brought on by increased housing expenses, weaker job stability, and student loan debt.
When you add in other stressors that members of older generations didn’t face when they entered the workforce—such as the current economic downturn, COVID-19 concerns, remote work, the transition from school to work and social media peer pressure—it’s easy to see why members of the younger generation might feel inadequate or out of balance in their lives.
Embracing workplace conversations about mental health
Younger workers may face difficulties with their physical and mental health at work, but they are also more open to discussing these issues.
Lebovits claims that younger generations are making the discussion of mental health more commonplace in the workplace. “They are speaking more candidly about their difficulties and are more likely to actively seek stress-reduction strategies involving mental health. The transition to remote/hybrid work has heightened this requirement among younger employees to be able to reconcile their personal and professional welfare because they are no longer in an office environment.
As an illustration, a poll conducted by TalentLMS and BambooHR revealed that 82% of Gen Z workers believe it is crucial to have mental health days, and 50% demand mental health training.
“It’s on businesses to offer this to their workforce to keep them engaged and feeling supported,” adds Lebovits. “We’ve observed younger workers react really well when their employer provides mental health assistance when mental health benefits are accessible. On the other hand, they react very poorly when a firm doesn’t go the extra mile to help minimize burnout, which makes an employee even more motivated to look for a new job at an organization that shares their values and offers this assistance.
Putting money into a culture of health
The issue for businesses is obvious: it is now crucial to develop solutions to fulfill the mental health and wellness needs of your workforce, especially those from younger generations, if you hope to gain an advantage in the ongoing battle for talent. It is now crucial to provide benefits that cover the entire spectrum of employee health and are accessible to all employees, regardless of where they are in their lives and careers.
Nevertheless, in order for these expenditures to be profitable, employers must consider more than just one segment of their workforce. The programs they implement should be advantageous to everyone inside the organization.
Lebovits argues that while creating a workplace wellbeing program, employers should pay attention to what their employees want and need rather than simply marking a box as completed.
That entails accepting a change in perspective. We should view these programs as critical investments rather than pricey modifications because they will benefit the firm much more than they would cost.
Even though it may seem obvious, everyone genuinely wants to be respected and heard at work. That is the main focus of the mental health care that employees seek, and it is at the heart of what it means to be a human.