Mental health is no longer a taboo topic. It is discussed and prioritized in open conversation in families and in the workplace. A recent study showed that 92% of new and upcoming graduates say it’s important that they feel comfortable discussing mental health at work. Simply having a conversation about mental health does a lot to support people. However, we must not leave it there; we need to ensure there are plans that back up the talk. That same study showed that 61% would leave a current role for better mental health benefits.
Managers need to prioritize mental health in all of the interactions with employees. Doing so benefits not only employees but also the managers themselves, providing a chance for self-reflection and an education on what resources are available to help. There are several ways to see that mental health stays on the “daily” agenda for teams.
Understand Available Benefits
While the open conversation around mental health is relatively new, support for mental health in the workplace is decades old. A 1966 law enabled each government agency to establish a health service program to promote and maintain the physical and mental fitness of employees. These are now commonly known as Employee Assistance Programs. Because they have been around for so long, many mental health programs could be overlooked among the list of employee resources.
Managers should take the time to understand what support is offered to employees. Create an accessible reference for programs such as free or reduced cost counseling, fitness/wellness programs and discounts, subscriptions to mindfulness apps, and paid time off guidelines. This guide to mental health resources could be a simple one-page Word document or a guided video, made available to employees so they can easily reference it when they need some extra support. The resource should include links and instructions on how to take advantage of these benefits to make it easy to get started, reducing the stress that can accompany getting support.
Money Can’t Buy Happiness, but It Does Cause Stress
Rising costs for everything from coffee to education to housing have made everyone take a second look at where their hard-earned money is going. Financial well-being is a huge stressor. Providing a financial wellness program as part of employer wellness offerings is more critical today than ever before. When asked about the most important thing employees wanted in a benefits plan, one survey found that 34% of workers said financial planning.
If your organization does not have benefits in this area, it is worthwhile to seek out some free online resources to share with employees. These can range from basic financial planning and budgeting to planning for retirement (at all ages), and how to save money on daily necessities.
Never Stop Learning
In addition to providing education around mental health and financial wellness, managers also need to encourage employees to take on professional learning opportunities. Encouraging employees to take advantage of professional development benefits (tuition reimbursement, paying for certifications, etc.) will help them feel like the organization is committed to their growth as individuals, which has a positive impact on mental health. Employees who feel challenged and are growing are more satisfied with their work, leading to better general satisfaction.
Communicate the Norms
Make sure everyone on your team has a clear and common expectation of such “working norms” as deadlines, responsiveness, communication methods, and personal time. Make it clear what your working hours are and when you do or do not expect a response. For example, if you tend to do your best thinking after traditional work hours and shoot off emails at 9:00 pm, make sure your team understands that you do not expect an immediate response to these messages. You are just sending it to them while it’s top of mind, and they can reply according to their work schedule. Setting these explicit guidelines will eliminate a lot of second-guessing and last-minute rushing to meet expectations that were never there.
Supporting the mental health of employees is just as critical as meeting a key project deadline. Doing so requires the same level of planning and preparation you would put into any work product. The result will be a team that feels supported, challenged, and ready to drive toward the mission.
As the founder of GovEvents and GovWhitePapers, Kerry is on a mission to help businesses interact with, evolve, and serve the government. With 25+ years of experience in the information technology and government industries, Kerry drives the overall strategy and oversees operations for both companies. She has also served in executive marketing roles at a number of government IT providers.
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