Employees want healthier work environments, especially ones that make their mental health a priority.
Nearly all workers surveyed by the American Psychological Association Jobs in America Survey 2023 (92%) said it is very or somewhat important to them to work for an organization that values their emotional and psychological well-being. However, 77% reported experiencing work-related stress in the past month, and 43% were concerned that telling their employer about a mental health condition would have a negative impact on them in the workplace.
When employees suffer, the business suffers. For example, untreated depression is costly to the US economy. over 51 billion dollars according to the nonprofit advocacy group Mental Health America.
But what exactly makes a healthy workplace? How can employers look after employee mental well-being in a way that benefits both company morale and profits?
“When you think about a healthy work environment, you simply want to create a space for your employees where they feel heard and supported,” Dr. Asima Ahmad, co-founder and chief medical officer of the company Carrot FertilityThis was stated on Monday during a panel discussion in LuckBrainstorm Health Conference in Dana Point, California. “It could be through medical benefits, it could be through other benefits, it could be through resources that are available locally.”
She added: “You invest in your employees and it builds trust in them that you have their back and they will continue to work hard and be able to invest in what you want them to do.”
Holly Oyalvo, Luck senior vice president of strategy and operations, moderated the discussion between Ahmad and three other workplace wellness industry leaders. Below are their tips for creating a healthy, happy workplace.
Stuart Isett/Fortune
Listen sincerely
Jacqueline Wainwright, co-founder and CEO of the company Air healthencourages employers to listen compassionately to their employees.
“Not many people are taught this skill in the workplace,” Wainwright said. “You can listen with your head, repeat a whole series of processes and deploy or implement a plan.
“But listening with your heart will help you get to know other members of your team. You will understand the problems they face, you will have better dialogue and a better community that can solve more problems together.”
“Employees also want to hear your opinion and establish a dialogue,” she said.
“Being ignored at work is more harmful to overall well-being than being harassed,” Wainwright said. “For example, if you are going to give negative feedback, that will lead to a better outcome than, say, no feedback at all.”
Harness the Power of Mentoring
Connecting employees at all levels with each other—whether through formal or informal mentoring programs—can increase a sense of belonging in the workplace, says Dr. Aditi Vyas, the company’s chief medical officer and corporate medical director. United Airlines.
“I am a doctor by profession, and, as a rule, my mentors have always been doctors. But I always needed a mentor who had business acumen and leadership acumen,” she said. “United has a program where you can have lateral mentors, vertical mentors, and then external mentors, so there is a group of people they can collaborate with from other companies and learn from them.”
“Since mentor-mentee pairings don’t always work out, be sure to monitor them and make sure the relationship is mutually beneficial,” Vyas said.
Help prevent burnout
Every job has its own stressors, but when a job creates chronic stress, it can be toxic for everyone involved. Think about how you can keep your employees’ batteries charged, said Russell Glass, CEO of the company free space.
“Think about a person’s physical health, mental health, financial health — an environment where all of that is sustainable,” he said. “When someone comes to work, they feel like they can keep doing it over and over again without burning out, without feeling like they’re not going to be able to keep all these things sustainable every time.”
Additionally, company leaders can help eliminate the stigma around discussing mental illness in the workplace by being open about their mental health, Glass says.
“As managers do, so does the rest of the company,” he said. “[Employees] When a CEO or senior executive talks about these things, it normalizes them and makes it easier for them to talk about them.”
More information on mental health:
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