be there for your employees

Changing the culture at work

As employers, we all strive for a work culture that maximizes productivity and supports employees to do their best work. We also want employees to be satisfied with their work and fulfilled so that they are committed to the quality and forward-momentum of our companies. Studies demonstrate that two goals – 1) a workforce that feels supported and 2) maximum productivity and profit – go hand in hand. According to a 2017 World Health Organization study, depression and anxiety are estimated to cost the global economy a trillion dollars per year in lost productivity.

As employers, we have choices:

1. We can maintain a rigid work culture, expecting employees to be at their desks, without exception, during assigned hours. This creates a culture of understanding that people plan their time off only when convenient to the company and that sick time is reserved for only times of extreme personal illness.
2. Alternatively, we can strive for a supportive workplace. We can hold employees accountable for their work and entrust them to accomplish their hours and assignments while offering a reasonable level of flexibility. When the unexpected happens, we can allow employees to use allotted sick time, paid time off to take care of themselves, both physically and emotionally. When possible, employees are supported to work remotely in order to meet their other needs.

Employers all over the world are starting to attend to the mental health culture of their companies for their employees’ wellbeing, and their bottom line. Active Minds works with companies and organizations to tailor a comprehensive program that enhances mental wellness in the workplace. Reach out to learn more.

How can we promote supportive work environments?

Expand our idea of “mental health”

We all have mental health. For some it is a diagnosed, potentially chronic condition that we live with, and for all it is a part of our daily lives.

• Consider an employee who has a child who is ill, an ailing grandparent, a natural disaster impacting their home or community, a recent home invasion, or any extraordinary life circumstance. Are they at their mental best to perform at work or have options to ensure the safety of their family? Do they feel safe asking for time off or remote time so that they can address the pressing needs in their life without the threat of punishment? A work environment that supports an employee’s ability to address their core needs, may dramatically lighten the mental load of other pressing needs, thereby increasing productivity.
• Consider an employee who is having a conflict with a co-worker, client, project, or supervisor. They may feel anxious or stressed which may impede their productivity. Do they have someone they can speak with safely to help them address their concern? Does the culture of the company allow for an employee to express that they are experiencing a roadblock or have made a mistake? Fostering a work culture that treats failure associated with trial and error as a growth opportunity rather than a punishable offense promotes creativity, loyalty, and professional vulnerability.

mental wellness in the workplace – video preview

Steps we can take as employers:

• Promote the benefits we provide. Gym discounts, a Human Resources representative, and team trainings, all count. Let employees know that they are available and that it is expected and encouraged that the team embraces those resources.
• Make it clear that disrespectful language will not be tolerated in the workplace.
• Model taking time off for both vacation and personal health.
• Provide ongoing trainings and/or conversations for employees to understand their own and each other’s work styles, preferred methods of communication, stress levels, mental health, company culture, and more.
• Engage employees to inform company decisions, directions, goals, and policies. Ask your employees for their ideas and concerns, not just for external organizational growth, but also to improve internal organizational culture.
• Support employees to communicate comfort or discomfort with workload – both when it’s too much or too little — with unique consideration offered to employees who are paid by the hour.
• Offer reasonable flexibility in working hours to accommodate employee’s overall well-being. A few ideas:
  • Consider allowing alternative work schedules or the opportunity to make-up brief time lost due to important obligations or appointments.
  • Allow employees to take bereavement leave for a loss of anyone they deem as a close relative or the freedom to work remotely, as is reasonable and commensurate with work objectives, while visiting an ailing loved one.
• Encourage team-building and open communication between supervisors/supervisees. Suggestions below:
  • Support consistent check-ins between managers and employees to maintain clear and ongoing feedback and support.
  • Acknowledge the positive work done by employees, not just the pain points.
  • Build a team culture, lexicon, and mutual understanding using easy-to-access tools such as personality/workstyle quizzes, or other team-building tools.

Many of the above recommendations can be done with little or no financial investment, rather a choice to enhance mental wellness in the workplace. These practices allow for employees to show up more fully when at work, likely leading to a healthier, more productive, and more loyal workforce.

Start the conversation today by partnering with Active Minds to explore effective solutions that meet the needs of your unique workplace.