The disruption of the past several years has shown that the efforts taken to offer mental health benefits to employees are still falling short in contemporary times. According to a study conducted by Mind Share Partners’ in the United States, 76 percent of employees reported having at least one symptom of a mental health disorder, a 17-point increase from before the COVID-19 epidemic. More than half (56%) experienced burnout; 46 percent experienced depression; and 40 percent reported anxiety. The epidemic impacted almost every employee and extended to their friends, families, and loved ones.
Moreover, the evidence is in front of us when we see senior leaders taking leaves because of stress and anxiety. Even top athletes were taking a break from the competitive pressure. Simultaneously, the new employees felt overwhelmed by anxiety and started looking for new job opportunities accordingly. Remember, even if you hire the top headhunters in Germany, a company lacking programmes or resources to address the mental health issues of employees will fail to attract the best candidates.
A bright side of this pandemic was that we started taking our health seriously, especially the significance of mental health in our daily lives. That is why this post intends to pose four questions to CEOs, CHROs, and other senior executives on how they handle mental health in their organisations.
What’s Your Knowledge Regarding the Mental Health Issues in Your Organisation?
In every organisation, there are various below-the-surface mental health issues affecting the employees. For instance, the benefits data could show increased spending on anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication. Also, there could be an increased number of leave requests or an increase in short-term disability costs.
We are all aware that mental health is having an increasing influence on productivity, employee happiness, and engagement. However, many leaders do not have a complete picture of their employees’ mental health. Until recently, even talking about it was difficult as it is a sensitive subject. Moreover, employee engagement surveys may not include the necessary questions regarding people’s mental health.
In contemporary times, mental health should be more than ever on the leadership agenda to determine the mental health issues in an organisation. So that significant steps can be taken to ensure a better work culture that is more in balance with people’s lifestyles.
Do You Have Enough Resources to Help People?
A study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2021 reported that almost 40 percent of the companies stated that they increased access to mental health services in the first year of the pandemic. Although a positive sign, this increase could be a sign of negligence since, when push came to shove because of the rise in mental health needs, they started taking action. According to the Kaiser survey, just 4% of firms eliminated cost-sharing for mental health care, and an even lower percentage improved access to in-network doctors.
There should be an internal culture of compassion for mental health. Also, there should be accessible, robust mental health resources for the employees. Aside from access to providers, several firms have made recent investments in employee assistance programmes, wellness apps, and other resources.
Once the tools are in place, making them really accessible necessitates ensuring that your employees are aware of the alternatives available to them and that they are safe to use them when required. Front-line managers are crucial in this regard. They should be well-versed in their people’s mental health and be officially educated in handling it, for the benefit of both the individuals and the team surrounding them.
What is the Leadership Team’s Role in Employee Mental Health?
Being aware of mental health issues and ensuring that the required resources are available should be the primary steps of a leadership team in a company. The most important thing is to hold the mirror before the leaders to understand that often leadership or cultural behaviours can unknowingly lead to negative impacts on the employee’s mental well-being.
It needs to be understood that pandemics can bring out the best and worst in leaders, and they frequently have unanticipated effects on employees’ mental health. As per the survey done by Zippia in 2022, 83 percent of US workers are suffering from work-related stress; 25% said their employment is the most stressful aspect of their lives. Mental health concerns extend beyond the job and into the household, further complicating the situation.
What Are the Ways to Remove the Stigma of Mental Illness?
As leaders, we must all work together to reduce the stigma associated with mental health concerns in the workplace. Making it easier for people to seek out and receive empathy. Also, assistance should be standard operating procedure for all leaders.
Final Thoughts
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that showing concern for employees’ health has a clear association with their loyalty and involvement, even under tough circumstances. It is no less true for mental health, which will definitely persist post-pandemic. Recognising this as a leadership issue that must be addressed with the assistance of HR, organisations may build best-in-class settings for both individual and organisational growth.
