Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace

We’re in a completely new working environment these days, and the focus on mental health and work/life balance has never been more front-and-center. As a business owner, it’s important to keep a close eye on the factors that may be impacting your employees’ ability to get the job done. To do this, you may need to consider making some changes to your workplace environment.

Let’s take a look at some numbers… in a Forbes article titled “Mental Health In The Workplace: The High Cost Of Depression” published earlier this year, it’s noted that research from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says “depression causes an estimated 200 million lost workdays each year at the cost of $17 billion to $44 billion to employers.” These are staggering statistics we shouldn’t turn a blind eye to. And since the average employee in the United States works over 1,800 hours per year, it’s safe to assume the workplace can help breed stress, anxiety, depression, or any number of mental health issues.

There are a number of ways employers can help their workers reduce and manage stress. To get an initial baseline on your employees, one tactic is to send out an anonymous survey asking pointed questions about what’s causing their mental anguish. It could be work-related, it could be personal, it could be anything in between. But if you get a decent read on the overall mood of your staff, you can start to nail down the stress management tactics you should implement.

Surveys should always include an open section for comments. One of your survey items can simply be a request for input on what would make the workplace less stressing. Perhaps your workers are upset about a recent policy change, or maybe they’re being asked to work too many hours. Again, the importance of this survey being anonymous is not to be diminished. Your staff need to feel like their identity will not be revealed so they feel comfortable speaking their minds.

A lot has been asked of the American worker lately as we navigate the Covid-19 landscape. Remote workers are finding themselves physically unable to detach from their jobs, while those who do have to return to an office in-person may be uncomfortable for health reasons. Bring joy to your business by ensuring camaraderie has a front-row seat. People want to enjoy their workplaces, whether they’re virtual or not. Set up virtual team events or in-person gatherings. Encourage your staff to get up and socialize with their peers. And be the pleasant, understanding, approachable face of your business by keeping an open door—one that welcomes anyone, stressed out or not.

Talk about it. Bringing mental health issues out into the air might be hard for some, and that’s completely understandable. But there’s also a stigma around it that prevents people from talking about their issues. The more leadership can normalize having mental health issues, the more willing employees may be to step forward about what’s really going on behind that computer screen.

At ARF Financial, we’re always on the lookout for new trends in the small business space. From financial advice to marketing tips and everything in between, check in with The Financial Pantry each week to see what types of content we’re cooking up. And if you’re in the market for a small business loan that’ll give you funds in a matter of days, learn more about why ARF Financial is your best bet for business success.