The pandemic has affected the world on various fronts. It has halted economic growth, invoked isolationism and marred our mental health. While economic growth can be recovered through vigorous policies, it is the mental health that demands sound policies, and extra attention. 

Mental health has been an ignored area for capitalist driven societies. Since business have one goal: to make profits, the use of human capital has mostly been ruthless, with little to no regard to their mental health. 

Amazon’s Jeff Bezos has been under severe denunciation for its lack of care towards its workers. According to a report by Fortune, Workers at Amazon warehouses have constantly complained about the gruesome working conditions. They have few bathroom breaks (timed), and excessive productivity goals, coupled with an unsafe working environment. 

Mental health issues can affect your brand negatively on various fronts. Such as

1. It decreases job performance, and compromises productivity.
2. It hampers fruitful communication among coworkers.
3. Poor mental health also affects physical health. 

Why Should Your Business Focus on Mental Wellbeing?

Amazon also came under fire when it admitted that many a time, the workers have to pee in bottles in order to meet deadlines. Now, being the richest man of the world does seem appealing, but at the cost of the wellbeing of your employees? You want to leave a positive legacy for the people, and environment at large. 

As an employer you can reap several other benefits as well, such as:

1. Reduction in employee absence.
2. Increasing the employee productivity.
3. Increase their retention, and reduce the staff’s turnover rate.
4. Reduce the employees’ stress levels.
5. Promote the reputation of a caring brand, who cares about the wellbeing of their workers.
6. Improve the morale of your workforce.

Here is how you can take care of your staff’s mental health:

1. You are not a Counsellor
2. Adopt a Structured Approach to Assess the Risks around Mental Health
3. Raise Awareness among the Employees
4. Implement a Health and Wellbeing Policy
5. Monitor Working Hours
6. Training of the Managers
7. Encourage Employees to Participate

You are not a Counsellor

Remember, it is not your job to be a counsellor for your employees. There are professionals for that. As a manager, or colleague you need to think about the response. Howe are you going to respond to the situation at hand? The first thing you should do is talk. Talk to the employee suffering from mental illness. Talking can assist you unearth the underlying cause, and determine the precautions you need to take to help the concerned employee. 

Adopt a Structured Approach to Assess the Risks around Mental Health

It is a wise thing to do. You need to establish a structured approach to measure the risks surrounding mental health. A well planned approach will give you the ability to handle and respond to the mental health risks in an informed manner. 

Raise Awareness among the Employees

Your employees need to know they can trust you. Therefore, you need to raise awareness in the firm about what the staff can do to look after their mental health, and the health of their colleagues. Clear policy will develop a sense of security among the employees and they will feel comfortable in disclosing their mental apprehensions with the organization.

You can distribute mental health awareness materials which can include brochures, videos and indoor posters to everyone in the firm, to make them understand the symptoms and signs of poor mental health.

Implement a Health and Wellbeing Policy

Usually, businesses only have a health and physical safety policy. Invest in a mental health policy as well. This way, the current employees, and the ones applying for a new job at your firm will realize your commitment towards creating a progressive organization. It will also yield good word of mouth for your brand, earning you traffic, and a mass social media following. Offer health insurance for depression at low out of pocket cost. 

Monitor Working Hours

Another important and practical step to take is monitoring the work hours. You should provide proper break areas for the staff and make sure no one is working during lunch breaks. The pressure to meet deadlines can be stressful and drive people to skip on lunch breaks. Lunch breaks are crucial because they refresh our minds in our 9 to 5 shifts. It also gives us a chance to interact with one another and come up with more productive outcomes.

Training of the Managers

Mental health has not been in the books for long. It is a rather current phenomenon that catapulted to the forefront due to Covid-19 pandemic. Many businesses are still learning to work side by side the pandemic. To get a better hang of the situation, you should hold training sessions and workshops for your managers and team leaders. They need to understand the out and out of mental health to help them determine the necessary steps to take when they come across a certain situation. For instance, the managers need to know the difference between depression and anxiety. If someone has a severe anxiety attack, the team leader should be aware of the steps needed for handling the situation.

Hosting seminars to address depression and stress management techniques can reduce ancxiety among employees and improve their focus.

Encourage Employees to Participate

Ask your employees to participate in the process. Employees can also offer valuable mental health and stress management education to the employers. Be mindful of their experiences and respond with empathy to encourage others to come forth with their stories. 

Conclusion

Mental health has usually been ignored. It does not mean human kind has not made any progress. Mental health and wellbeing has a direct impact with the business and its growth. Without caring for the wellness of your employees, you might pave the way for increasing absenteeism. Employees will take more days off, hence hampering deadlines. 

On the other hand, poor mental health management can also yield presenteeism which results in double the cost accrued by absenteeism. It results in loss of productivity at workplace, because employees are unable to participate with full capacity due to mental stress and ill health. 

It is up to you to establish an all-inclusive policy which will eradicate the stigma surrounding mental health and wellbeing.