What does employee mental health in the workplace mean for the success of an organization?
- Even though the impact of work alone on your personal identity, self-esteem, and social recognition is hard to measure, most mental health professionals today agree that the workplace environment can have a notable impact on an individual.
- All together we can aim to improve employee mental health everywhere.
What is employee mental health in the workplace?
- Mental health keeps our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act.
- According to the WHO, mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her potential, can cope up with the normal stresses of life, can work constructively and fruitfully, and can make a contribution to her or his society.
- Depression and anxiety are the two most common mental disorders that affect our ability to work, and productively at the same time.
Nature of a Happy Employee at the Workplace?
A past study by WHO found that there are more than 30 crores people around the world suffer from depression and another 26 crores from anxiety, with many living in both conditions and that such disorders cost the global economy 1,00,000 crores rupees in lost productivity each year.
We spend half or more than half of our time at work, our experience in the workplace is undoubtedly one of the most influential factors to our mental health.
There are many risk factors available in any organizations for employee mental health including:
- insufficient health and safety policies;
- poor leadership and communication;
- low participation in decision-making;
- limited control over one’s workspace;
- lack of emotional support for employees;
- long and/or inflexible working hours;
- ambiguous roles, tasks, and objectives, and;
- workload (both excessive and insufficient).
There are also some more risk factors, such as,
- monotonous and/or unpleasant tasks;
- lack of respect and recognition at work;
- inequity and favoritism in the workplace;
- poor interpersonal bonds/team cohesion;
- bullying (both physical and psychological);
- harassment (both sexual and racial), and;
- clashing of home and work demands.
The effects of ignoring employee mental health?
A workplace where everyone is careless of employee mental health often eventually suffers from loss in productivity. When no one really paid enough attention to mental health problems in the workplace then that can lead to:
Low happiness
Employees can often suffer both mentally and physically.
All these results not only in unhappy employees but also inevitably, an increase in overall sickness absence. Which usually occurs in frequent short spells that disrupt smooth workflow.
Low performance
Mental health problems in the workplace can lead to any organization into an increased amount of work errors. As well as workplace accidents, poor decision-making, poor timekeeping, and a general failure in planning to control work. Which all contribute to an overall decrease in work output.
Bad culture
Mental health problems in the workplace also lead to friction and enmity amongst colleagues, poor relationships with customers, and many disciplinary problems.
It can also lead to reducing in motivation and commitment and all contributing to a bad, and potentially toxic, company culture.
Some ways to improve employee mental health?
Initiatives that can protect and promote employee mental health in the workplace include several proactive steps that leaders can take.
We can help to promote employee mental health by putting appropriate policies in place, such as;
- Develop and apply a strict policy against racial and sexual harassment. These have no place in the world, let alone your company’s workplace
- Establishing programs for the career development of employees. Such as on-the-job training and sponsorship for further studies to keep them motivated.
- We have to make the participants of every member in any decision-making task. Have to allowed everyone to share their opinion on that point.
Cultural changes
Some changes can be enacted to support positive employee mental health, such as the following.
- We have to create a positive company culture that can be bonding easily. Supporting and looking out for one another’s mental health instead of tearing down one other.
- encouraging good work and personal life balance by giving employees sufficient time. And the incentive to spend quality time with their loved ones to keep them inspired.
- recognizing and rewarding the contribution of employees, especially when they excel. So that they always know they are cherished and appreciated;
Actions you can immediately take
As well as the above cultural and policy changes, there are many activities you can start today. To help promote great employee mental health.
- We have to encourage healthy activities such as drinking water and eating fruit. As well as providing stress relief spaces such as a gym or mediation room at the workplace.
- Providing expert mental health support and putting those resources. Within the reach of the staff such as regularly scheduled therapy sessions, and motivation sessions, and all.
- Marking out all forms of bullying in the workplace, so there is no place for emotional, psychological, and physical violence have in the workplace of any company.
How everyone helps each other in the workplace
- Ensure the workspace has as much natural light as possible. This means that there should be more windows or balcony should be there in the workspace.
- Encourage employees to take walk breaks. Walking can be invigorating and, in some jobs, it became necessary to have some movements of your body. It’s good for your physical health too.
- Consider adding plants to the workspace. Having greenery around can make space seem more inviting and comforting, even if it’s subtle.
- We have to create an opportunity to get everyone social in the group.
- Give employees enough free time with their work so they feel trusted.
- Train managers not to micromanage.
- Create a culture that everyone gets respect and care for each other.
- Talk openly with everyone about related to mental health or their kinds of stuff. These could not only help in mental health but in long term, they can build relations that good for even the company.
- We have to provide a healthy snack whenever food is offered. Because staying physically healthy can impact our mental health too.
- Acknowledge employee’s hard work, and show them they’re appreciated.
- We have to train everyone especially managers to respond appropriately. When an employee comes to them with mental health concerns that may need accommodations.
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