Mental health is key to employee success

In 2021, nearly 20% of adults in the UK experienced some form of depression. It suggests that it affected almost one in five adults – double the number before the pandemic (around one in 10).

As we adjust to life in the post-Covid era, addressing mental health and wellness in the workplace is more than just a company perk. Instead, it has become a requirement for employees to perform at their best. Thus, organizations must develop effective workplace plans for employee mental health.

How poor mental health and stress can negatively affect employees

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that mental illnesses affect employees in several ways, such as:

Job performance and productivity

Even when the issues that cause depression in an employee are not directly related to work, their mental health affects their job performance. Workplace mental health matters because it affects job performance and employee retention.

Engagement with one's work

Depression affects an employee's level of functioning at their job. It shows up in many ways; for instance, they might have low energy or lack the motivation to complete tasks, make errors or miss deadlines, or come in late or not at all. The Mental Health Foundation suggests that 12.7% of all sickness absence days in the UK are due to mental health conditions. With their mental health in check, employees can better focus on their work with increased concentration, motivation, and drive.

Communication with co-workers

People with depression, anxiety, or mental health conditions, have different communication styles. For example, some of them take longer pauses while talking, so they get interrupted a lot or don't get to finish what they were trying to say. People with anxiety also fidget while talking, appearing distracted or unconcerned. On the other hand, when people are in a good place mentally, their communication and interpersonal skills improve.  

Physical capability and daily functioning

The CDC's report shows that depression interferes with an employee's ability to complete "physical job tasks about 20% of the time." It also can cause a "35% reduction in cognitive performance".

How employers can support employees' mental health 

Mental health shouldn't be something that employees are expected to handle on their own and only outside of work hours. Seeing how poor mental health leads to lost productivity, increased absence, and staff turnover (among other things) benefits the employee and the company to recognize the importance of employees' mental well-being and its positive impact on the organization's success.

Here are some ways employers can promote awareness about the importance of mental health and stress management:

● Create an open-communication culture: The first step for any company is to promote a culture that supports mental well-being. Mental health is a personal and sensitive subject, so employees will only open up about it if they feel comfortable enough to do so. It requires a careful and comprehensive approach involving the expertise of mental health experts, policy changes, leadership training, and access to personal, confidential support lines. 

● Tools: Organizations can have mental health self-assessment tools and conduct regular employee health surveys.

● Screenings: They can offer free or subsidized clinical screenings with a qualified mental health professional.

● Medical assistance: Offer health insurance with low or no out-of-pocket costs for medications and mental health counselling.

● Counseling: Provide free or subsidized therapy sessions, lifestyle coaching, or self-management programs. 

● Resources: Distribute and circulate materials, like fliers, brochures, and videos, to all employees about mental health - its signs and symptoms, types of treatment, and more.

● Collaborative team events: Employees with mental health issues can sometimes feel isolated. Team meetings, lunches, team-building activities, and get-togethers are fantastic for encouraging friendships, uplifting moods, and helping people connect.

● Seminars: Host workshops that address mental health and provide stress management techniques, like mediation, mindfulness, and breathing exercises to help reduce anxiety and improve focus and motivation.

● Safe spots: Create and maintain quiet spaces for relaxation activities.

● Training: Provide leaders with training to help them recognize the signs and symptoms of emotional distress and depression in employees. Managers should also be trained to respond appropriately.

● Participation: Allow employees to participate in decisions about matters that affect their job stress.

● Get creative: Companies can introduce concepts like walking meetings, working in sprints (a period of highly focused work, followed by a short break), meeting-free days, and more. 

The bottom line: 

Ensuring that the employees are mentally well will help the organization succeed while improving employee health, professional fulfilment and quality of life.