Workplace awareness of and support for mental health challenges helps on many levels
Conversations about stress, anxiety and self-care occur regularly on social media and probably around many kitchen tables too. Yet, work-related mental illnesses are still on the rise. According to Corporate Wellness magazine, 31% of workers experienced a decline in their mental health in the past year – up from 24% at the end of 2020.
The same survey found that 84% of workers experienced at least one mental health challenge during that same time period, from issues such as stress and burnout to diagnosable conditions including depression and anxiety. There is plenty that employers can and should be doing to help their staff and make a meaningful difference. And setting out a structured, open and respectful conversation about mental health can have manifold positive effects, down to the bottom line.
Perhaps the simplest of all the steps is to just listen to your employees. To have regular catchups and informal updates on projects, and by asking that direct question – “How are you?” Offering a clear path to conversations about feelings and workload (often the root cause of stress) helps to build a culture of care and it puts the subject of mental health in plain sight, where it needs to be. The Harvard Business Review suggests asking these three questions: “What would be most helpful to you right now?”; “What can I take off your plate?” and “How can I support you without overstepping?”
This type of conversation is just as important to have with workers who spend a lot of time away from the company headquarters. Psychotherapist Owen O’Kane, a former NHS clinical lead, suggests you adopt a down-to-earth conversational approach. A starting point could be, “Shall we grab a coffee over Zoom? It would be great to catch up with you.” If the situation would benefit from a face-to-face conversation, managers can use days at the office or a local flexspace to catch up.
Do as you say
Of course, listening then has to be followed with action. If someone tells you that they are being buried under a growing pile of work, then you need to be willing to remove some of that burden. If they are finding the juggle of work and family life too intense, then you need to find a way to make it manageable. It’s about bringing basic human kindness into a world of deadlines, targets and finance – it’s not easy, but it is achievable.
Increased flexibility brought about by hybrid working can help to ease stress by directly addressing so many of its primary causes. iHire’s 2022 Talent Retention Report, which surveyed 2,665 workers, found that poor work-life balance was the third most common reason why people left jobs in the past 12 months. There has also been an anecdotal rise in employee disengagement, or ‘quiet quitting’, a TikTok-era take on not going above and beyond at work.
A study from IWG found that 95% of HR leaders believe hybrid work is an effective recruitment tool, with 60% saying that it increases employee retention and 80% agreeing that it boosts employee satisfaction.
Text | Supplied
Photography | fizkes
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