5 Ways to Improve Employee Mental Health: Information for Managers
Most business owners and managers don’t realize that employee mental health is influenced by work culture and environment. Creating a supportive environment and ensuring that team members feel able to focus on their mental health can pay off in better job performance. As a manager, it is up to you to lead by example. Making self-care and mental health a priority will empower your staff to do the same. Our counselors in Richmond, VA, recommend the following ways to create a supportive mental health culture in the workplace.
Provide information and resources
Be sure your staff members know about the resources available to them, including how to connect with a counselor, insurance plan mental health benefits, and your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Giving your staff easy access to mental health resources will provide them comfort in knowing you care about their well-being, resulting in more committed and engaged staff members overall.
Encourage a healthy work-life balance
Urge your employees to attend counseling appointments when they need them, eat healthy, stay active, and use vacation time when they need to recharge. Set the standard as their manager by letting them know when you take lunch breaks, leave work for yoga classes, and take vacation time. This is particularly essential in work environments with dedicated, passionate employees at a higher risk of burnout.
Recognize employee mental health struggles
Learn to recognize and address mental health problems in the workplace. Dedicate some time in your schedule for meetings with your employees to ask how they are doing overall. Deliberately allowing this time will let your employees know it is okay to talk about their problems with you. In many cases, this can prevent call-ins and anxiety regarding mental health struggles for them and helps them feel supported and appreciated.
Appropriately respond to employees who need mental health support
If an employee is going through a complicated personal issue, is anxious, is struggling with mental health, or seems down, offer to talk with them over coffee. Feeling like it is safe to speak to you about their issues without the fear of retribution will reduce the mental health stigma employees experience about mental health. If they are open to it, make a plan together, whether checking in periodically on how they are doing, allowing time off for counseling, or giving them some personal days to center.
Raise mental health awareness
Creating a safe, open environment for mental health raises awareness in the workplace—practice ways to bring up mental health issues in a non-confrontational, safe environment. For example, try inviting a professional to come and offer advice on techniques to reduce work-related stress, planning mental health awareness days, or providing information on mental health resources through newsletters and emails to staff members.
These are just a few ways to actively improve the mental health of your staff. Providing a supportive and understanding environment can increase productivity and happiness in the workplace. It will also lead to employee retention because they feel appreciated and supported for who they are, not just what they do for you. Remind them that counselors in Richmond, VA, are here to help. They can contact us anytime for extra support.