Why Employers Should Encourage Mental Health Awareness in the Workplace

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Mental health hasn’t always been prioritized in the workplace. In fact, many employers used to focus solely on the numbers without regard for the people who produced them. However, in recent years, that has been changing. There has been a shift toward identifying mental health issues and putting steps in place to resolve them for the betterment of the individual and business. If your workplace hasn’t yet looked into how to shine the spotlight on mental health, here are a few reasons why now might be the right time.

There Are Programs to Help

Whether you want to learn how to deal with conflict at work or you’re interested in how you can help your employees, there are online and in-person programs to assist. These programs and learning opportunities identify the most common mental health issues and guide you through how to make workplace improvements.

You may not have always understood why companies should implement a workplace mental health awareness program, but you can quickly come to know why by enrolling in such a course yourself.

To Know How to Manage It Properly

You may know that mental health problems are prevalent in your workplace, but you may not know how to make changes to benefit your entire team. That’s where a mental health awareness program comes in.

You can learn how to approach different situations so that your team feels cared for, appreciated, and supported during a challenging time in their life. Even a few minor changes in your approach to management, such as an open-door policy, official mental health day implementation, and noticing changes in employee behavior, may make a world of difference.

For Improved Productivity

It might surprise you to learn that having empathy, understanding, and flexible work policies for your employees with mental health problems may lead to an increase in productivity.

Think of it in terms of physical health. When you’re feeling physically fit, you’re able to achieve much more than if you’re not. The same rule applies to mental wellness. When you work somewhere that prioritizes mental health, your psychological wellness enables you to perform better. A company’s bottom line can benefit as a result.

To Remove the Stigma

Mental health stigma describes people feeling shame for being mentally ill and seeking help for their condition or emotional distress. Even if you don’t think stigmatization exists in your workplace, it can without you even realizing it.

There can also be several harmful effects associated with it, such as a lack of understanding by coworkers, fewer social and work opportunities, and social isolation. Employees may not feel encouraged or nurtured, which means they may not feel comfortable opening up to anyone about what they have been feeling. Fortunately, there are many ways to take action to reduce mental health stigma in the workplace.

Alongside programs for awareness, there are small steps you and your colleagues can take to contribute to an overall shift in behavior. For example, instead of saying someone is schizophrenic, you can say they have schizophrenia. Remember, people are living with a mental illness diagnosis, but they aren’t the diagnosis.

Be mindful of any harmful language as well. Refrain from using words like ‘psycho’ and ‘crazy’ when referring to someone with a mental illness. Words and descriptions such as these may impact how confident someone feels to seek help and communicate their problems.

To Make Your Business Safer

In 2019, there were 2.8 cases of workplace-related injury and illness for every 100 employees. There were also 3.5 fatalities for every 100,000 full-time employees. While there is no way to eradicate workplace illnesses, injuries, and fatalities entirely, having mental health awareness may be able to make an impact.

Burnt out, stressed, ill, and distracted employees can have wider implications for your business. Depending on their line of work, they may not be in the best headspace to prioritize health and safety while carrying out their job.

In contrast, a happy, healthy, and fulfilled employee is one that may be in a better position to avoid those workplace incidents. Some studies also show that engaged workers have fewer accidents, while up to 80% of workplace incidents are attributed to stress.

You may not think the mental health of your team is your concern. After all, you’ve hired them to do a job, and you pay them for that job. However, a lack of mental health awareness in your workplace can cause a variety of problems, like accidents, productivity loss, and general dissatisfaction. Focus on awareness, and you may be able to benefit your bottom line and your team simultaneously. 

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