Maximize Workplace Well-Being: The Benefits of Mental Health Planning

Workplace stress can be a pervasive issue in workplaces, with potentially detrimental effects on workers' mental health. Numerous studies reveal the stress and related burnout U.S. workers experience has steadily risen since the start of the pandemic.

For example, think tank The Conference Board's May 2023 survey asked over 1,100 workers about their mental health, with 34% reporting it had declined since six months before.

Additionally, a 2022 Future Forum survey of over 10,000 workers across the U.S., Australia, France, Germany, Japan, and the U.K. revealed burnout was on the rise globally, with 42% of the workforce reporting increased burnout. The study revealed it was higher among women (46%) than men (37%). Additionally, 48% of younger workers reported burnout, while 40% of workers aged 30 and up said they experienced burnout.

Furthermore, the Deloitte 2023 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, based on over 22,800 people in 44 countries, showed elevated levels of workplace stress persist, and burnout due to work pressure was on the rise for Gen Z: 52% in 2023 versus 46% in 2022. 

Business leaders can benefit by prioritizing their workers' mental health. It can be crucial to address the importance of workplace well-being to create a thriving workplace. 

Understanding Mental Health in the Workplace

According to MentalHealth.gov, mental health is "our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act and helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices."

As a result, poor mental health at work can significantly impact work performance and hurt your bottom line. A healthy workforce can be the foundation of companies that want to evolve and grow.

“As we recover from the worst of the pandemic, we have an opportunity and the power to make workplaces engines for mental health and well-being," says Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in the Surgeon General’s Framework for Mental Health and Well-Being in the Workplace. 

Many employers have prioritized understanding what makes employees happy and addressing employee mental health at work. For example, the 2024 Annual Report from the Mental Health Index surveyed 46 companies from various sectors ranging in size from fewer than 100 employees to more than 50,000. It found 93% of those companies provide resources and benefits to address mental health issues at work. 

The Importance of Mental Health in the Workplace

Mental health services can be invaluable in boosting workplace well-being for workers and small- business owners.

For one thing, workplace well-being can help reduce absenteeism, as healthier workers are less prone to taking sick leave. Likewise, workplace well-being can decrease the loss of productivity due to presenteeism, the problem of employees being on the job but not fully functioning due to illness or a medical condition. 

The Impact of Mental Health on Employee Well-Being and Productivity

It can be crucial to understand the significance of mental health and its impact on job performance. By recognizing the warning signs of poor mental health at work, you can take proactive steps to address these issues and prevent negative business consequences for your company. 

You can look for changes in work patterns and uncharacteristic behaviors to help you identify mental health issues at work.

Here are 10 indicators to look for:

• An increase in mistakes
• Frequent forgetfulness
• Trouble concentrating and making decisions
• A marked decrease in productivity and work quality
• Mood swings
• Irritability or mistrust of co-workers or customers
• Increased impatience
• Withdrawing from social activities
• An uptick in sick days and tardiness
• Decreased motivation and creativity

Benefits of Prioritizing Mental Health at Work

One of the top benefits of mental health services in the workplace can be setting up a supportive environment in which employees feel free to discuss issues and seek help to improve them. A January 2024 Ipsos poll found seventy-one percent of workers who feel managers are genuinely concerned for their well-being are more inclined to talk about their mental health with their manager. The poll reached over 2,000 adults working full-time at a company with at least 100 employees.

Even more, a company that offers mental health services for its workers can create a sense of community that helps workers rally behind one another. A supportive environment can improve employee morale and work balance and reduce turnover. 

Caring for employees' mental health and well-being also may help boost a company's image and brand. Such businesses tend to have a better reputation among customers, the public, and potential recruits.

As more and more employees seek mental health support services at work, providing mental health and well-being services can be a competitive advantage in attracting talented employees.

Strategies for Mental Health Planning in Business

A 2022 Deloitte survey found 56% of employees think their company’s executives care about their well-being, while 91% of the C-suite believe their employees trust they do indeed care about it. The survey included 1,050 leaders and 1,050 employees across the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia.

Leaders can take greater ownership and action for the well-being of their employees. Support and follow-up on any initiatives can start at the top.

As a leader, consider these four recommended steps to promote mental well-being in the workplace:

1. Prioritize mental health.
2. Improve mental health support services offered to employees.
3. Share information about resources and assistance.
4. Foster an inclusive culture that eliminates mental health stigma.

Here are specific mental health solutions to get you started on the path of nurturing employee well-being: 

Company Culture

Company leaders can create a company culture that values employee well-being by integrating mental health planning into their business practices and raising awareness.

As a leader, you can hold forums or discussions with employees to discuss mental health openly. In addition to supporting your employees' mental health and well-being, you can set a good example by adopting self-care routines such as disconnecting from email in the evenings and stepping away from your desk to go for a walk. You can hold managers accountable to do the same. You can make it a part of the culture to take breaks at various points during the workday to recharge and stay focused.

You might offer rewards for participating in the company's wellness programs, such as books and videos on wellness topics or gift certificates for massages and other health treatments. Beyond that, you can implement flexible hours to encourage better work-life balance and offer mental health days and no-meeting days. You can encourage employees to take their vacation by not allowing them to accumulate unused vacation days from year to year. 

Wellness Benefits and Resources

You can provide professional counseling services through employee assistance programs (EAPs) or health insurance plans. If your budget permits, you might consider making health services and counseling available on-site. 

Additionally, you might offer benefits like wearable technology like smartwatches or fitness trackers can encourage workers to monitor their health.

A healthy workforce can be the foundation of companies that want to evolve and grow. 

You can offer stress management programs such as meditation, mindfulness, time management, emotional intelligence, healthy living, and resilience building. You might even set up a workplace well-being ambassador program. Wellness ambassadors are company volunteers who role model well-being practices in the workplace and help spread the word about mental health and well-being initiatives. 

You can provide online mental health services to give employees access to professionals in the field, and you can use multiple channels to regularly and frequently remind employees of the available mental health resources or even create a database of tools. You can also dedicate a calm space in your company where employees can escape from stressful situations to unwind and recharge.

Adaptive Solutions for Diverse Business Needs

It can help to consider flexible solutions that accommodate different employee groups and their potential challenges. For example, young adults may need help addressing stressors like childcare.

A 2023 survey of over 1,000 Gen Z and millennials shows 1 in 5 are currently in therapy. The top reasons include anxiety, depression, and stress. As the survey shows, there's a growing demand for therapy treatment among Gen Z and millennials, with nearly 2 in 5 (39%) saying they planned to go to therapy in 2024.

What's more, employees from various backgrounds, such as Asian, Latino, and black employees, may have different mental health challenges at work; they may require mental health assistance to navigate racism, discrimination, microaggressions, unconscious bias, and other factors that can affect their mental well-being and sense of security in the workplace. They may benefit from mental health providers with similar backgrounds who may be more culturally competent. 

Elevate Workplace Well-Being to Drive Productivity

Following the guidelines in this article, organizations can enhance workplace well-being and ultimately boost productivity.

Here are 5 steps to help increase employee productivity:

1. Establish a foundation of trust through open and reciprocal dialogue.

Trust can be a driving force for high employee productivity. A 2023 survey from Slack involving 10,387 global employees shows feeling trusted in the workplace is the most important factor influencing employee productivity. Workers report two times greater productivity and four times greater overall satisfaction with their work when they believe their bosses trust them. Meanwhile, those who don't feel trusted report higher stress and anxiety and a lower sense of belonging.

"Feeling trusted breeds hard work, which leads to more trust," says Slack's Research and Analytics SVP Christina Janzer in the survey. "This is a virtuous cycle all leaders can take advantage of to boost employee performance and well-being.”

The research identified transparent, two-way communication between leaders and employees as the foundation of a trusting, healthy workplace culture.

2. Give workers the right tools to make their jobs easier.

Employees want tools that help them work smarter, not harder. Challenges can come up when there's a lack of integration between the tools they use for different tasks. 

Another factor that can slow down productivity is employees' inability to access the data they need to work effectively. One strategy is to set up a single source of truth (SSOT), which centralizes internal data in one location that everyone can access. This saves time when dealing with problems caused by using different sets of data. 

3. Improve the effectiveness of leaders.

Poor leadership can erode employee morale and lowers productivity. It's prevalent in many workplaces. According to an August 2023 FlexJobs survey, 87% of 8,400 working professionals said they have worked under at least one toxic leader at some point in their career. The negative impact included increased anxiety, mental fatigue, and a decline in engagement, productivity, and performance. 

You can offer leadership development programs and proactively protect workers by holding managers accountable for creating an encouraging work environment where people thrive and want to work. 

The growth of remote work, technology disruptions, and the increasing need for speed and business agility have all altered the nature of the modern workplace. However, having a good boss is paramount is still often crucial to a healthy workplace.

4. Create a culture of recognition.

Employee recognition is a low-cost, high-impact strategy for boosting employee well-being and increasing their desire to go the extra mile. 

Easy actions for making your workers feel valued can include: 

• Be timely. The most effective recognition is the one that comes as soon as possible after the fact. 
• Be specific. Details can make the recognition more authentic.
• Be public, but take care to ensure you don't embarrass an introverted employee.
• Show how the employee's achievement contributes to the company's overall success.
• Show appreciation for big and small everyday achievements. 
• Carefully select who will deliver the recognition. You can consider the value of appreciation from the company's senior leaders as well as the employee's direct manager.

5. Allow workers greater freedom.

Greater autonomy at work can contribute to employees' well-being. Conversely, having little control over one's work can lead to feelings of helplessness and a loss of motivation to excel, resulting in declining productivity. 

As a leader, you can provide worker autonomy within boundaries by setting clear guidelines. You can offer training to help employees develop the required skills to excel in an autonomous work environment. Such training could include essential skills to function independently, such as time management and decision-making. 

The Takeaway

The benefits of prioritizing workplace well-being and mental health in today's business environment can be key to workers' happiness, productivity, and retention. The best place to work is one where everyone can bring their best selves to work. 

Photo: Getty Images