Article: Mental Wellness

Start the New Year right by promoting the mental wellness of your organization. Research shows that stressed employees are more likely to miss work. In fact, depression costs the U.S. economy $210 billion every year due to absenteeism and productivity loss. Stress also reduces employee engagement and commitment. The APA’s 2022 Work and Well-being Survey results indicate that supporting mental health of employees will benefit them—and your bottom line. Of those who took APA’s survey, 81% said they consider employers’ support for mental health when they look for work. When asked what support they were looking for, respondents selected flexible work hours (41%), respect for time off (34%), remote work capability (33%), and a four-day work week (31%).

Creating a positive, supportive work environment by promoting mental health is shown to result in better productivity, improved work quality, reduced absenteeism, increased engagement and retention, and reduced healthcare costs. This January, we challenge you to promote mental wellness in your organization.

How to promote mental wellness

1. Start with managers. Managers make or break employee engagement. They are your front line in supporting employee’s mental wellness. Train your managers to promote mental health at work, respect and manage the tension between work and other life priorities, and recognize the signs of stress. Invest in coaching to make sure the training sticks and to continue supporting your managers as they support your employees.
2. Consider a flexible workplace ecosystem. Employees report increased sense of wellbeing when they have control over when and where they work. Adopt flexibility and remote and hybrid solutions into your workplace ecosystem where it makes sense.
3. Check your organization’s insurance offerings. Do the health insurance options offered align with federal policies that require coverage for mental and behavioral health? Don’t stop at the minimum—remove cultural barriers to accessing mental health resources.
4. Ask for—and use—employee feedback. If you are not asking for feedback, you are missing out. And if you are asking for feedback and ignoring it, you are actively damaging your workforce.
5. Revisit your culture. Build mental wellness into your culture by setting and communicating reasonableexpectations that enable and promote healthy habits.

Is your organization promoting mental wellness? Visit our website to learn more about how CEEK can help enhance and communicate your culture with mental wellness in mind. We can help you CEEK a Better Way.

We are jumping into the New Year with a series of articles focused on how leaders can promote mental, physical, and spiritual wellness collectively and individually within the organizations they are entrusted to lead. Check back over the next three months as we take each topic in turn and join the conversation on LinkedIn!