No more treating employees’ mental health as just a catchphrase—it’s time to show you care about the people working to support your organization.
As people in the workforce continue to redefine what they find valuable in a job, employers must continue adapting to stay competitive and attract high-quality employees, both for the long and short term. Though many employers are coming around to the idea that happy employees are more productive and reflect better on their companies, the ways that workplaces approach building mental health support for their employees are often lagging, if they exist at all. How can an employer make sure that its workers are getting the support they need?
Though there are companies that will try to solve mental health by attempting to instill an “office culture,” we prefer to instead recommend concrete resources and actions that will address mental health. Beanbag chairs and company ping-pong tables are fun, but in reality do little to address the myriad concerns many employees—especially younger ones—face in their stressful lives. There are articles out there that will tell you to implement a Casual Friday to address mental health. This is not that article. The people in your organization need support so they can be their best, and here’s how you can provide it in ways that matter.
Provide an EAP—and Encourage People To Use It
The “health benefits” so many workers are accustomed to factoring into their compensation often include mental health services, but they frequently go overlooked. Many health care packages include an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that provides anonymous assistance to employees going through problems outside of work. Anxiety, depression, and a number of neurodivergent experiences are all issues that EAPs exist to help address. At Allevity, we have regular updates from our EAP that we pass on to our employees to make sure they know the resources available to them. As your employees’ boss or supervisor, you are often not qualified to handle all of their personal problems—but you can, and should, steer them in the right direction toward your EAP.
Foster an Honest Environment
You obviously can’t share everything with employees. There is always going to be some privileged information that should stay confidential. But you might be surprised at how much of it actually needs to be, and how much can be out in the open, in a functional, happy workplace. The easiest place to start is in performance reviews. Everybody wants to know where they stand. Are they valued there? Is there room for improvement? What are they doing well? Why do you enjoy having them on your team? Are they meeting expectations for their role? What do you have in mind for their future? None of this should be a cloak-and-dagger experience, where middle management is discussing an employee’s performance with the employee being none the wiser.
Put Employees First
There is a famous saying that suggests “the customer is always right.” We can tell you from experience—as can everyone who has worked in customer service—that this saying is simply untrue. If your company interfaces with clients or customers who treat your employees poorly and who create an uncomfortable work environment that puts your employees’ mental health at risk, it is up to you to address it. An employee’s complaint about an overly aggressive, disrespectful, or otherwise problematic client should raise a red flag that perhaps that client is not worthy of your partnership. This is a situation we have (albeit very rarely) experienced in our industry. At the end of the day, we will side with our employees, even if it means discontinuing a profitable professional partnership. As an employee, wouldn’t you want to work for a company that had your back?
Be Flexible. No, More Flexible. MORE
Remember that while your company might be your life, it is probably not nearly as beloved to your employees. And that is OK! Their priorities, perhaps like yours, are their family, their personal lives, their overall wellbeing. One of the hallmark characteristics that is emerging about the newest generation of employees is a fierce commitment to protecting work-life balance. Frankly, it’s about time the rest of us got on board with it, too. Realize that your employees’ jobs are simply a part of their lives, and usually not their personal priority. People work to pay bills, feel fulfilled, and serve a purpose that they enjoy. Every workplace is different, but as much as you can, truly reconsider how important it really is that you know the details of why someone is requesting time off, or if they have a need to work from home this week. People often just need a mental reset to do their best work. When they feel like they have the flexibility to seek balance in their lives, and not like they are chained to their jobs, they are happier and more productive.
The fact is, almost nobody can possibly wake up every day mentally feeling their best. All of us, as people, have stressors that affect our mental health, and resolving them often takes precedence over what we have to do at work. The employer that can not only recognize that, but actually step up and provide the proper resources to support their employees, has an enormous advantage over their competitors when it comes to retaining and attracting talent. Who doesn’t want to work for someone who cares about them as a person?
If you want to talk to us more to figure out some sensible, realistic ways to support your employees, we’re ready! Just reach out to us and we’ll talk.
