As a business owner, caring about the well-being of your employees demonstrates your integrity, responsiveness and transparency. And most importantly, a focus on well-being benefits both the workforce and the business. As Gallup puts it, “When your employees’ wellbeing is thriving, your organization directly benefits – they take fewer sick days, deliver higher performance, and have lower rates of burnout and turnover.”
Here are a few recommendations to help employers successfully instill a positive mental health culture for their team:
1. Take the time to connect. Harvard Business Review emphasizes that “a culture of connection is key.” Even making a habit of asking “How are you?” can go a long way. More importantly, though, is to keep the conversation going by asking how you can help.
2. Provide manager training. Equipping office leaders with this knowledge and training can help them navigate sensitive conversations. Building trust takes time, but meaningful, authentic relationships are built when leaders can spot the need for a mental health day, an adjustment in project timeframes or work hours, or a referral to an employee assistance program (EAP). The ultimate goal is for employees to feel comfortable enough to ask for help.
3. Promote work/life balance. The Happiness Index, a platform dedicated to happiness and engagement in the workplace, outlines how maintaining a healthy work-life balance can enrich health and relationships, improve productivity and performance, and minimize burnout.
4. Encourage self-care activities. People often don’t practice acts of self-care because they don’t have time or don’t know where to start. Encourage more self-care by offering guided meditation or yoga sessions, walking meetings, regular pauses in the workday and team outings.
5. Send proactive reminders. Remember that employees may not always be aware of the mental health benefits available to them. And even if they are, many individuals often need encouragement to take that first step. So, send proactive reminders of the services you offer that can help support their mental wellness.
