Workplace Wellness

Have you been seeing stressed employees ready to pull out their hair? It is time to drop the stress code and read some ways that HR in workplaces can support their employees! We know that in the last couple of years mental health has been on the forefront of conversations, so I found it prevalent to touch on HR tips for creating the best environment to aid employees for peak productivity. Especially following the blog about well-being in preparation for World Mental Health Day on October 10, I will share a few facts before outlining some ways workplaces can help.

A recent study by Deloitte expressed that 1 in 5 U.S adults experience mental illness annually and less than half receive treatment. The Mental Health in the Workplace Summit also revealed that mental illness is now the leading cause of disability for U.S adults (15-44) and more lost workdays due to mental health issues than any other illness.

Research and studies have shown that modeling an environment for mental health support in turn, will positively affect productivity and profitability of companies. We need to start cultivating spaces in which mental health is talked about and receiving assistance/ different resources are not taboo. There are 5 simple ways that we can start constructing this office culture:

Promote Mental Health Awareness in the Office – We need to start destigmatizing mental health and start providing resources and information that can assist your employees.
- Some resources to offer:
  - National Alliance on Mental Illness
  - The Trevor Project (For LGBTQ+ mental health resources)
  - Mental Health America
  - National Coalition For Mental Health Recovery
  - American Psychiatry Association
  - BetterHelp (online therapy)
  - Wysa (mobile therapy chat sessions)
  - TelaDoc (virtual therapy through certain medical insurance)
Offer Flexible Scheduling – Flextime, PTO, Telecommunication.
Address Workplace Stress – Regular check in with employees for honest communication, publicly address negative behavior and actions in workplace, and celebrate employees’ successes. You can also implement an activity here and there for 20 minutes as a work break.
Evaluate Your Benefits Offerings – Review health insurances for covered mental health services and if you can offer voluntary benefits like EAPS, employee discount programs and life planning assistance.
Provide Mental Health Training for Managers – They should be prepared to openly speak about mental health and trained to recognize and handle these difficult conversations.