The cost of mental health in the workplace is rising rapidly and is becoming a key factor in organizational success. Mental health-related issues in the workplace affect not only the employees, but also their families, friends, co-workers and employers alike.
For most organizations, supporting workers' mental health requires more than providing access to basic care. It means creating an environment where individuals feel safe enough to open up about their struggles with psychological challenges or difficult life circumstances that can impact job performance. It is essential that workplaces embrace this need for support by recognizing how important employee wellbeing is both now and in the future since dealing with poor mental health takes time as well as considerable effort from all parties involved (including management). In this article, we will discuss how to deal with mental health in workplace.
Mental health problems can also lead to high attrition rates. When employees leave, companies have to spend money to recruit and train new employees. This costs time and money. For an employer, it is important to create a mentally healthy workplace. This includes promoting good mental health practices, providing support for employees with mental health issues, and creating a culture of openness and acceptance. It is also important to have procedures in place for dealing with employees who may pose a risk to themselves or others.
The benefits of a mentally healthy workplace
Despite companies acknowledging increasing pressure on businesses today due to COVID-19, concerns surrounding employee safety and financial security of family members coupled with lack of necessary resources needed for helping those affected are leading many companies down a treacherous path towards furthering anxiety levels among staff across different departments within large corporations globally. As such, managing stress has become increasingly paramount during these challenging times – something which must start from senior leadership awareness through training workshops being conducted regularly so that frontline professionals recognize signs and symptoms early before problems arise; thereby ensuring optimal productivity and profitability throughout organization even during crisis period.
“Companies, whether public or private, are constantly under pressure to continue to grow quarter on quarter, year on year and out-pe.rform the competition. This can often translate into constant pressures on employees, who are rewarded for working longer hours and going over and beyond their job requirements,” says Charu Sehgal, Partner and Life Sciences and Health Care Leader, Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu India LLP
How to create a mentally healthy workplace
While having conversations regarding personal stressors should always remain confidential between employer/employee(s), surveys have suggested there needs to be greater flexibility. Addressing individual requests allows them to better manage workload demands while still staying focused on projects they are assigned without feeling overwhelmed. It eventually improves overall morale while attaining desired results regardless of adverse conditions.
A mentally healthy workplace is good for business and good for employees. Investing in mental health can help reduce the cost of mental health in the workplace. Mental health is often viewed as a personal issue, but it can have a significant impact on the workplace. Mental health problems can lead to absenteeism, reduced productivity, and increased accidents and errors. They can also create a hostile or negative work environment.
Role of employers in promoting mental health in the workplace
The good news is that working to create a mentally healthy workplace environment can mitigate these costs and provide numerous benefits. Investing in mental health initiatives such as stress management programs or counselling services can help reduce absenteeism while increasing employee engagement and job satisfaction. By creating an atmosphere where employees feel comfortable talking about their mental health needs, employers can foster a culture of trust and collaboration. This will not only improve morale but also increase productivity and profitability as employees are better able to focus on their work when they feel supported by their employers.
To conclude
Ultimately, decision makers should provide ample guidance for maintaining healthy environments. Implementing measures which discourage long term negative conversations/behaviours is important otherwise unaddressed burnout will inevitably lead decline in innovation quality output amongst workforce, resulting in costly disruptions reducing business growth significantly.
Fortunately, a mentally healthy workplace provides many benefits - from improved well-being to increased productivity - making it worth investing time and resources into mental health issues in the workplace are serious issues that can have a tremendous negative impact on employee morale, productivity, and even the bottom line. It is estimated that mental health issues cost employers in the United States over $80 billion each year due to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, and increased healthcare costs.
