Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing: It Matters
Written by Dr. Karen Smith, PhD
Gone are the days when mental health was a topic not to be discussed outside of the privacy of a therapist’s office.
Best-selling books, podcasts, talk shows and social media campaigns have significantly de-stigmatized discussions of mental health and mental illness. We have been told that #mentalhealthisreal, #itsokaytonotbeokay, and #itgets better. But, can we talk the real talk about mental health at work? Are we ready for that?
Just last year, the CDC published the Surgeon General’s Framework for Mental Health and Well-Being in the Workplace, which is designed to encourage organizations to rethink policies and practices in light of their effect on employees’ mental wellbeing. The average full-time employee spends approximately half of their waking at work - and nearly 80% of workers report that their work environment has negatively impacted their mental health. The pandemic only intensified the difficulties of maintaining a healthy work/life balance in the face of stressful workplace demands.
According to the Surgeon General, organizational leaders now have the opportunity – and perhaps the obligation – to build a work culture that intentionally supports employee mental health. By fostering a sense of connection among workers, showing them that they matter, making space for their lives outside of work, and supporting their personal as well as their professional growth, leaders are communicating that they value the people who create the product. As a participant in one of my coaching groups recently said, “I need to treat my workers as people, not as tools to get a job done.”
Connecting with workers, listening to their needs, and helping them manage work stress and other challenges that affect mental health costs money, time, and effort. But evidence shows that the cost of failing to support employees’ mental wellbeing is often far higher as measured in “quiet quitting,” days missed, and resignations. On the flip side, we know that a healthy work culture increases employee satisfaction, boosts team morale and increases productivity. Prioritizing mental health at work is a triple win for the individual, the team, and the organization.
Here are five essential elements of mental well-being in the workplace:
Protection from Harm: Create the conditions for physical and psychological safety. Train your managers to protect all workers from injury, discrimination, bullying and harassment. Celebrate the diversity of your workforce.
Connection and Community: Foster positive relationships by creating social support and instilling a sense of belonging for all employees. Prioritize trust and collaboration.
Work-Life Harmony: Encourage autonomy and flexibility by providing options for how, when, and where work is accomplished. Also, enable workers to rest, unplug, rejuvenate. Respect boundaries between work and non-work time.
Mattering at Work: Support dignity and meaning in the ways in which work is approached. Listen to what employees need, and act on it. Include everyone’s voice in decision-making. Build a culture of gratitude and recognition.
Opportunity from Growth: Provide opportunities for learning, growth, and development through training and feedback. Define clear, equitable pathways for career advancement.
Workplace culture plays a significant role in people’s lives – for better and for worse. Health-promoting policies and procedures are the foundation of a work environment where everyone can thrive, rather than just survive. How we get the job done is as important as what we get done. Mental health matters.
