Mental health and well-being are pivotal to the employee experience—as HR leaders, we know this. Many of us champion these initiatives within our organization. We see employees struggling, we hear from managers who need support, and we know that supporting well-being leads to a more productive, engaged and retained workforce, therefore improving business outcomes.
 

Current research tells a clear story: U.S. workers are struggling with mental health challenges. But, when employers do invest in mental health, those investments pay off.

Right now, half of Americans report feeling like they are “treading water” amid economic uncertainty, and their engagement has sunk to a low. American workers’ mental health challenges are rising too. A national survey on employee mental health in the U.S. from Mind Share Partners and Qualtrics found that 90% of full-time U.S. workers report experiencing at least minor levels of a mental health challenge, with half reporting moderate-to-severe levels of burnout, depression, or anxiety. The top stressors cited were U.S. politics (43%), global events (42%), and personal finances (37%).

But, when employers do invest in mental health, those investments pay off for the employees and businesses. A recent Gallup poll found that the top factors U.S. workers consider when looking for a new job are work-life balance and personal well-being. On the business side, studies show that higher worker well-being leads to improved valuation, higher return on assets and greater profits.

Coming out of the pandemic, progress is being made, and right now is not the time to start pulling back on well-being investments. Here’s what we can do to support our team members.

1. Start with training to address persisting stigma.

While we have seen a widespread normalization of mental health at work, stigma still has a strong hold on employee well-being. A NAMI-Ipsos poll found that over 40% of employees worry their careers would be negatively impacted if they talked about mental health concerns in the workplace.

Training for employees, managers and leaders is a foundational part of an effective well-being strategy. Start where the need is greatest, which is typically training managers on how to navigate mental health on their teams proactively and clarifying their role in well-being.

I’ve seen it first-hand in my recent consulting work with a software company, where we hosted training sessions for managers to learn the skills to support their teams. After the training, some managers who had never considered employee well-being as part of their job role previously now had greater awareness and a sense of responsibility, making it a core part of how they lead their teams.

It’s also important to recognize that training should not be a one-time effort. Be sure to provide ongoing training for managers and employees on the current and specific challenges they are facing at the moment.

2. Take another look at your policies, benefits and other work norms.

In a moment where U.S. employers are navigating significant disruption to operations and ongoing uncertainty—employees are experiencing it, too. Taking a look at the policies and benefits that can support workers during this time can aid them in navigating support options.

Make sure, for instance, that health and safety policies like anti-harassment, anti-discrimination and accommodations are clear and accessible for your staff. With U.S. politics cited as a top stressor in our survey, creating norms around discussing politics at work can help employees navigate this uncertainty and support a healthy work culture. Examples of norms could include turning off televisions in the office with ongoing news reporting or setting norms and expectations to create safety in team discussions on current events.

On the benefits side, look at the needs of different workers (i.e., front-line vs. corporate) and make sure what you are offering supports the different needs of your team, and make it easy for employees to know who to talk to or where to go to access resources. Things like leaves of absence, paid time off, mental health coverage, child-care support, financial literacy, and therapy are all benefits that can support employee well-being.

3. Help managers and leaders create more flexibility and work-life balance in their teams.

Work-life balance has moved to the top of the list, even above pay, as a priority for workers globally. In addition, U.S. workers rated flexibility as what would be most helpful to their mental health.

With workload being a major factor that can make or break employee well-being, ensure that leaders and managers in your organization have the tools and strategies to support their teams in managing workloads—especially during busy periods and amid organizational changes. Be strategic about how jobs are designed—are expectations clear, and is the role sustainable? And help managers to be proactive with their direct reports around what can be prioritized and deprioritized.

The ability to take time off is also important to flexibility—and plays a strong role in lowering turnover. Offering paid time off is equally as important as creating a culture where employees feel safe and supported enough to fully disconnect and rejuvenate during vacation time. But, over half of professionals say they can’t fully unplug during vacation time.

To address this, help managers create work practices for their teams, like signing off at reasonable hours, helping employees fully unplug during vacation by not contacting them, and establishing coverage plans. Leaders can also play an important role by modeling from the top that it’s okay—and encouraged—to disconnect on vacations and set work-life balance practices into your day-to-day.

Having These Strategies Pays Off

Employees are seeking out and choosing to stay at companies that prioritize well-being. A recent study out of the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy found that the cost of burnout alone can reach up to $21,000 per employee per year. Providing proactive and ongoing support to address challenges like burnout can help you keep top talent in your organization.

While there is a lot in the world that is uncertain and outside of an employer’s control, workforce mental health can be well within your control. Now is not the time to pull back on well-being strategies. As HR leaders, we must continue to advocate for employee well-being as a long-term business priority and a vital component of the future of work.

Author Bio

Rebekka Bagatsing is the People Team Lead & Principal at Mind Share Partners. She leads the work of attracting, engaging, developing, and retaining great talent for the organization. Rebekka’s focus areas include talent planning and acquisition, onboarding, benefits and compensation, performance management, staff development, and culture. In addition, she facilitates Mind Share Partners workplace training and leads strategic projects for clients.

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