As rates of burnout and mental exhaustion hit record levels, improving mental wellbeing in the workplace is a major focus for employers this year. As an employer, this may not be surprising to hear. While employees are more productive now than ever before, many also have intense feelings of loneliness, depression, seasonal depression, anxiety and substance use challenges.

The numbers surrounding mental health and substance use challenges in the workplace are staggering. Studies show that every year, up to 200 million workdays are lost to mental health challenges. Untreated mental illness costs the United States a staggering $3.7 trillion every year. And approximately 10.8 million full-time employees face a substance use challenge.

Despite the numbers, fewer than 10% of employees feel like their workplace is free of stigmas surrounding mental health — a perception that can discourage them from asking for help.

Mental Health America’s Mind the Workplace 2022 report stressed that positive workplace mental health requires investment (i.e., time, intention and action) at all levels of an organization, including executive leadership, management and employees.

You can make an impact and create a healthier workforce for employees. #BetheDifference for your employees with strategies for fostering a happy, healthy work environment.

• Create wellbeing programs that focus on mental and physical strength. This can mean offering wellness experiences like gym memberships, meditation or yoga classes, virtual fitness apps, spa services or telemedicine apps.
• Offer continuing education courses to develop professional skills, no strings attached. For example, if your employee is a graphic designer, offer to pay for an advanced Photoshop class. This tells employees you care about their professional growth without requiring anything in return.
• Provide wellness stipends and paid time off to help employees prioritize tending to their mental wellbeing. Wellness stipends are taxable benefits paid to employees to help cover wellness expenses, such as copays at the doctor or massages.
• Train yourself and your colleagues in mindful and empathetic leadership. Practicing these skills in your own interactions creates a ripple effect that benefits the entire organization.
• Survey your employees for feedback on how your organization can meet their mental health needs. Benefits such as mental health vacation days can go a long way toward supporting employee mental wellbeing.
• Bring Mental Health First Aid at Work to your workplace. This skills-based mental health training program teaches participants how to notice and support an individual who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge or crisis in a work environment and connect them with appropriate employee and community resources. After successfully completing MHFA at Work, your employees will be able to recognize and respond to signs and symptoms that may indicate a mental health or substance use challenge in a colleague or friend.

Taking these steps shows employees you care about more than their productivity. #BetheDifference to your staff, and lead the way to a healthier workforce.

To learn more about MHFA at Work, visit MHFA.org/workplace and complete the inquiry form.

Already MHFA at Work certified? Become an Adult or Youth MHFA Instructor and help destigmatize mental health and substance use challenges in and around your community.

References

Cording, J. (2023, January 16). Mental health in the workplace: predicted trends for 2023. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesscording/2023/01/16/mental-health-in-the-workplace-predicted-trends-for-2023/?sh=11d2d68e5bb9

Health Canal. (n.d.) Cost of Untreated Workplace Mental Health. https://www.healthcanal.com/cost-of-untreated-workplace-mental-health-us/

Mental Health America. (n.d.). Mind the workplace 2022. https://www.mhanational.org/mind-workplace

Tsipursky, G. (2022, November 3). Workers are less productive working remotely (at least that’s what their bosses think). Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/glebtsipursky/2022/11/03/workers-are-less-productive-working-remotely-at-least-thats-what-their-bosses-think/?sh=2d1a588d286a