Not too long ago, the idea of companies addressing their employee’s mental health concerns was unheard of. It was all about achieving targets and hitting financial goals – popularly known as ‘hustle culture’. But this very hustle culture is what led to the emergence of mindfulness, empathy and conversations around mental well-being at the workplace. People began to recognize that excelling at work was not about pushing yourself beyond limits, working late nights and forgoing all your boundaries. In fact, it’s about taking care of yourself.
In light of these discussions, several companies introduced mental health policies, and leaves and even offered therapy sessions for their employees. They started asking the most important question – what do our employees really want?
It All Begins With Talking About Mental Health
Starting a conversation about mental health with your employees can do wonders and is sure to be highly appreciated. In an internal survey, over 96% of employees agreed that talking about mental health at the workplace is essential, while 100% said that it’s important for employers to consider their employees’ mental well-being.
“It’s so important to work at a company that doesn’t hold your mental health condition against you. We need to move beyond this stigma, and we can slowly see that things are changing. People in positions of power have begun to realise that a supportive and empathetic working environment will help any employee thrive. And all of this begins with having these open conversations at work.” – Arunima Bhattacharya, Editor
Factors Contributing To Mental Health Struggles At Work
A bad work culture can be one of the biggest contributing factors to employees struggling with their mental health at work. And 50% of people agree that during the course of their careers, this has affected their mental health the most. Over 33% of them agree that excess workload can be a point of stress and worry, while the rest attribute this to managers, teammates and work timings.
Will Mental Health Leaves Do The Trick?
Nearly 57% of employees agreed that employees should be entitled to mental health leaves. But is that enough?
“Besides having policies in place, through the survey we found that employees are looking for something more. This includes interactive sessions at work, access to therapy, temporarily reducing workload and even training sessions for managers to better support their team. Today’s employees are well informed and lay great emphasis on work-life balance, and companies will adapt accordingly.”
The proof is in the pudding – taking your employees’ mental health seriously can not only create a safe working environment for all but also positively impact a person’s performance at work. Slowly but surely, mental health policies and access to therapy will become standard practice as many companies will follow suit. It’s evident – the discussion about mental health is here to stay.
