Long stigmatized, the pandemic brought ideas around wellness to the fore as the population came under huge psychological strain in the wake of the virus and its associated lockdowns. Fears around the potential loss of income, the stresses of homeschooling, and the general sense of uncertainty exacerbated things still further.
Largely as a result of this, big organizations are now taking mental health issues more seriously than ever before, providing support to their employees in various ways. This has been a profound step forward, and we look more closely at why it’s come about and how it looks on the ground below.
The Economic Cost of Mental Health
A 2015 survey concluded that mental health issues - especially depressive disorders - cost businesses in the USA more than $210 billion yearly. So, aside from the need to safeguard their employees due to its being the morally right thing to do, there’s a strong economic imperative for businesses to take the mental health of their employees seriously, too.
Many large companies are now offering employee support programs, which provide services such as talk therapy, work health assessments, critical incident support, and telephone counseling sessions. Such services can make a profound difference to employee well-being, as well as keeping staff members at work and feeling supported, motivated, and valued.
The Switch to Hybrid Working
The pandemic saw, from necessity, many employees switching to home working. Although the impact of Covid-19 is now beginning to fade, many teams remain either working remotely or on a hybrid basis.
While this way of working enables both employees and businesses to save money (in terms of the cost of office space, equipment, and commuting to the workplace, for example), it also comes with unique challenges. A key issue for businesses to tackle is how to safeguard the mental health of their staff, which can be particularly vulnerable when working remotely.
Feelings of isolation, stress, and increased pressure can all cause problems for those working remotely - without the support of the physical presence of other colleagues and the ability to vent or bounce ideas off of these individuals; problems can develop. And these issues may not be visible to managers or team leaders before it’s too late and the staff member has quit or taken sick leave.
Large businesses are finding ways to navigate the new ways of working, however, to support their team and ensure their mental health is protected. Using tech to boost virtual collaboration, for example, helps team members to stay connected; virtual coffee breaks, as well as professional Zoom meetings, eradicate feelings of isolation, and real-time digital solutions mean that colleagues can work together on a project or document no matter where they’re located.
Becoming People Focused
Across all industry sectors, businesses large and small are becoming more people-focused and emphasizing responsible, sustainable, moral practices and processes.
The result of this has been a greater concern, in general, for the wellness of staff and a new ethos of viewing each staff member as a unique individual with their own needs, skill sets, and challenges.
Combined with the need to navigate the pandemic, this has seen businesses create new, beautifully designed outdoor workspaces for staff to promote better mental health, introduce ways of working that support an improved home-life balance, or make time for more frequent one-to-one meetings and check-ins.
Furthermore, the health insurance packages offered by companies to their employees are increasingly featuring provisions that enable workers to access help for mental health issues as well as physical ailments. This is another key step forward when it comes to promoting holistic staff well-being.
The Benefits of Safeguarding Employees’ Mental Health
And finally, big businesses are more concerned with protecting and upholding the mental health of their staff for the many benefits this delivers to the individual and the organization alike.
Employee productivity tends to be enhanced in businesses where mental health is taken seriously, and steps have been taken to create a more positive working environment for staff. When workers feel valued and supported - and their well-being is being promoted - they are usually more motivated and inclined to ‘go the extra mile.’
Further, companies that prioritize their employees’ mental health experience significantly lower staff turnover - which means savings in terms of recruitment costs and training. Workplace relations are usually stronger, too, between both colleagues and clients, and team members usually feel more confident coming forward with ideas and solutions.
Creating a Work Environment that Promotes Positive Mental Health
Businesses can play a crucial role in building a future in which there is no stigma around mental health and creating environments that ensure the well-being of their own staff.
As well as being in the best interests of both employees and the business itself, this new focus is likely to make a hugely positive difference to wider society and can help us, as a whole, continue to move forward and recover, collectively, from the impact of the pandemic.