The COVID-19 pandemic has put everyone—including the workforce—through the wringer. After over two years of ups and downs and no real end on the horizon, employees continue to feel isolation, anxiety, and stress. In 2021, a Society for Human Resource Management survey of 1,099 employees found that over 40 percent were feeling hopeless, burned out, or exhausted as they dealt with the day-to-day of the pandemic.
While we don’t know when it will end, or what the overall impact of the pandemic will have on workers, it’s clear that it’s had many negative effects on families, employees, and workplaces. Employers are in a unique position to help. But does this mean you’re responsible for the mental health of your workforce?
The Case for Employer Responsibility
- We’ll start with the moral point of view: it’s just the right thing to do. If you care about your people, you should show it by implementing policies and providing services that have a positive impact on mental health.
- It’s a great talent acquisition and retention strategy. A workplace that values mental health is ultimately a healthier, happier place to work. That’s the kind of thing that people stay for and candidates seek out.
- It’s good for business. When people are feeling good and their mental health is solid, they bring their whole selves to work and make significant contributions. Take care of your people and they take care of your business.
- As the Harvard Business Review reminds us, recognizing and dealing with stress on the job is no longer a choice. The law is shifting toward a legal obligation to address and mitigate workplace stress. Mental health resources can help.
The Case for Employee Responsibility
- Employees have to take ownership too. The workplace is only one piece of the puzzle—PTO, breaks, and mental health resources don’t work if people aren’t taking advantage of them.
- Mental health is personal. Each individual has their own needs and their own ways of dealing with mental health challenges. It’s difficult for employers to provide truly custom solutions for each and every employee.
The Solution Is in the Middle
Let’s face it, employers can’t—and shouldn’t—fully “own” responsibility for an individual’s mental health. But we do believe that an employer needs to do two important things. The first is to provide all the necessary tools and resources that allow employees to take action on their mental health. The second is to create an environment that makes it possible for employees to take action. Mental health practices have to be embedded in the culture to make it stick.
When mental health takes a back seat in the workplace (and let’s be honest, that’s common), it’s because of a culture that prioritizes hustle and busyness over taking care of one’s mental health. There has to be a middle ground.
If your workplace truly wants to make a difference when it comes to the mental health of your employees, follow these three steps.
- Embed it in the organization
This means that prioritizing mental health has to be part of the organization’s values. Write it in, talk about it, and design your workplace policies around it.
- Offer tools and resources
Variety ensures that the solution isn’t one-size-fits-all. Effective solutions include Employee Assistance programs (EAP), workshops and seminars, nutrition resources, gym memberships, meditation apps, and workplace wellness challenges.
- Model the behavior
If the leadership team is always on and never takes a day of PTO, they’re sending a contradictory message. Ensure that everyone, from top to bottom, is showing up for their own mental health and encouraging everyone they work with to do the same.