In today’s workplace, mental health is a pressing topic – not least because in the 2022/2023 period alone, work-related stress, depression, and anxiety led to a staggering 35.2 million lost workdays, costing employers between £33-42 billion annually and the global economy US $1 trillion each year.
Mental health issues can have a silent domino effect, from people to organisations, and these statistics highlight a large gap within the workplace in curbing their effects. Not all businesses offer comprehensive wellbeing support, incorporating both mental and physical wellbeing, so it’s up to each organisation to adapt their methods to help their employees and, ultimately, themselves.
One of the key factors underpinning this issue is that mental health stigma is still largely prevalent in the workplace. Recent research by McKinsey has shown more than half of survey respondents feared stigma if colleagues discovered their mental health problems. Outdated views on workplace performance can plague workers and pressure them to suffer in silence. However, this ultimately leads to worse results from missed days to debilitating mental health issues.
Destigmatising mental health in the workplace
Destigmatising mental health in the workplace should be a priority for everyone, as anybody can be affected. Brushing it under the rug will not solve the problem. We spend so much of our time at work so it should be a supportive environment. Establishing proper mental health support structures can significantly help workers and their productivity, even if they do not feel able to work at full capacity.
It is important to acknowledge however that despite an organisation’s best efforts, some productivity will inevitably still be lost due to mental health issues, which are not easily predictable or preventable. But promoting a culture of understanding and awareness can make a significant difference. Even though work hours may be lost, understanding the underlying reasons for those lost hours is a crucial step towards minimising its impact and taking actionable measures.
It’s also important to recognise that mental health concerns are nuanced and can differ between individuals, regions and across industries when relating this to a workplace setting. What affects one individual, may not affect another, which is the same with regions, industries, job roles, etc. Therefore, acknowledging these differences can help construct a system that can address issues in all facets of an organisation.
Mental health management is crucial to our wellbeing as individuals, and how we find our harmony is vital. It’s no secret that we can’t be perfect 100% of the time – or any of the time, if we’re being honest – but building endurance and resilience into how we manage our mental health can help us manage the expectations we often hold for ourselves.
Endurance is key, considering that life is more of a marathon than a sprint. Acknowledging the inevitable ups and downs and focusing on building endurance is essential, so it’s important to concentrate on what you can do rather than comparing your situation to others.
How businesses can help with employee wellbeing
Employers need to dedicate time and money to training mental health first aiders – individuals who can support employees with managing their wellbeing in the workplace – across their organisations.
Training mental health first aiders is a beneficial way for businesses to support their employees as they learn to understand a range of issues affecting their colleagues and gain insight into the complexities of different people.
By incorporating mental health first aid training and putting in support structures, employees are better equipped to recognise and respond to mental health concerns across the workplace and their personal lives. Not only that, their training is aimed at both protecting others and oneself so they are not affected by others’ ailments.
This can be through simple things like dropping a text to check how someone is doing after a big project finishes, or noticing when someone doesn’t feel like their usual self and opening the conversation to address this. It could also be through offering someone who uses exercise as a coping mechanism some time back, so they can gym it out when they feel particularly stretched.
Mental health first aiders are trained to notice when employees need extra support and are signposted to be that person, just like first aiders in any workplace. Regular communication and checking in with each other are necessary aspects of business but that should also include the people. Every individual needs to feel heard and valued.
Balancing productivity with wellbeing
Organisations may demand high productivity levels of their employees but failure to provide them with the right tools to achieve those results could be counterproductive. It often results in burnout and dissatisfaction with the organisation.
There is no doubt that prioritising mental health is a commitment for both employees and employers. It takes time to develop a culture that is supportive and inclusive, where employees can feel more valued and productive.
But it is only by taking the time to place a keen focus on how people are feeling that we can ensure we are genuinely creating a nurturing and supportive workplace all year round – not just for a week or month.
Abi Acland
Abi Acland is an Expert Consultant for data strategy, eCRM and web personalisation atAcxiom. Over the past 15 years Abi has helped many brands across a variety of industries optimise the use of their data by developing and delivering lifecycle programs that ensure their customers get the best customer experiences. In addition to her primary role, Abi places a keen focus on making sure the people at Acxiom are looked after and that they see their job as a positive challenge rather than a barrier to their mental health and happiness.
