While there is plenty of advocacy for mental health nowadays, the reality is that it isn’t always fully supported or sympathized with. In a world where business and jobs in general can be all-consuming, it’s important to give as much support to your staff as possible.
Here are five strategies for enhancing your mental health support within the workplace this year.
Photo by Natalie Bond
1. Foster a supportive culture from the top to the bottom
It’s essential that within the workplace, everyone feels as supported as the next person. That’s why it’s good to try to foster a supportive culture. That goes for everyone within the business, from the top to the bottom of the chain. Everyone has a responsibility to one another, and that also means contributing to the culture of the workplace.
If you’re seeing negativity that’s contributing to the culture of the workplace, then it’s imperative you change that where you can for the sake of those who might otherwise struggle.
2. Provide mental health education and training
Education and training are definitely something that you want to provide to all staff members, but most importantly, those who are influencing and making decisions within the workplace. For the management and supervisors of your company, providing this training can be incredibly helpful so that they can navigate mental health-related issues with as much care as possible.
Most staff members could also benefit from knowing more about their own mental wellbeing and how they can voice their concerns when they or a colleague is affected. It’s also worth looking at services you could outsource, like company chaplains, to help provide some guidance and advice where it’s needed.
3. Offer all staff mental health days off
Mental health days are something that more businesses are introducing, and that can prove to be a great way to reset the employee who might currently be struggling.
Everyone’s capacity for workloads is different, and sometimes life can throw a few unexpected punches. Offering a mental health day or two, where needed, to every employee can certainly be useful, especially when supported by access to psychologists and counselors.
4. Encourage break times and vacation time
Break times and vacations should certainly be encouraged. A lot of employees have a habit of working through their lunches and perhaps not taking the right amount of breaks that they should take.
With that being said, look at encouraging more break times and ensure every staff member is taking a good amount of vacation time off throughout the year.
5. Provide flexibility in working habits and schedules
Flexibility is something that’s important to offer to all those in the workplace, where possible. This flexibility can be handy when staff members are in need of working from home or prefer to have a hybrid working schedule that works around their private life. It’s a part of working in the modern day that more employees are expecting from the companies they work for.
Enhancing your efforts for mental health support in the workplace is a good investment of your time and efforts. So with that being said, use these tips to help improve your mental health efforts this year.
While there is plenty of advocacy for mental health nowadays, the reality is that it isn’t always fully supported or sympathized with. In a world where business and jobs in general can be all-consuming, it’s important to give as much support to your staff as possible.
Here are five strategies for enhancing your mental health support within the workplace this year.
1. Foster a supportive culture from the top to the bottom
It’s essential that within the workplace, everyone feels as supported as the next person. That’s why it’s good to try to foster a supportive culture. That goes for everyone within the business, from the top to the bottom of the chain. Everyone has a responsibility to one another, and that also means contributing to the culture of the workplace.
If you’re seeing negativity that’s contributing to the culture of the workplace, then it’s imperative you change that where you can for the sake of those who might otherwise struggle.
2. Provide mental health education and training
Education and training are definitely something that you want to provide to all staff members, but most importantly, those who are influencing and making decisions within the workplace. For the management and supervisors of your company, providing this training can be incredibly helpful so that they can navigate mental health-related issues with as much care as possible.
Most staff members could also benefit from knowing more about their own mental wellbeing and how they can voice their concerns when they or a colleague is affected. It’s also worth looking at services you could outsource, like company chaplains, to help provide some guidance and advice where it’s needed.
3. Offer all staff mental health days off
Mental health days are something that more businesses are introducing, and that can prove to be a great way to reset the employee who might currently be struggling.
Everyone’s capacity for workloads is different, and sometimes life can throw a few unexpected punches. Offering a mental health day or two, where needed, to every employee can certainly be useful, especially when supported by access to psychologists and counselors.
4. Encourage break times and vacation time
Break times and vacations should certainly be encouraged. A lot of employees have a habit of working through their lunches and perhaps not taking the right amount of breaks that they should take.
With that being said, look at encouraging more break times and ensure every staff member is taking a good amount of vacation time off throughout the year.
5. Provide flexibility in working habits and schedules
Flexibility is something that’s important to offer to all those in the workplace, where possible. This flexibility can be handy when staff members are in need of working from home or prefer to have a hybrid working schedule that works around their private life. It’s a part of working in the modern day that more employees are expecting from the companies they work for.
Enhancing your efforts for mental health support in the workplace is a good investment of your time and efforts. So with that being said, use these tips to help improve your mental health efforts this year.
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