9 Ways Leaders Can Support Mental Health at Work

Increased Mental Health Issues

The prevalence of mental health issues has increased dramatically over the course of the pandemic. Today, roughly 1/3 workers report feeling symptoms of depression and/or anxiety in the last year, an increase of 200% compared to before the pandemic. And not surprisingly, 80% of sufferers complain that their symptoms contribute to more difficulties at work, such as being more tired, making more errors, feeling unmotivated, distracted, or unable to make decisions. 

Having a member on your team who is not able to contribute their best due to a mental health issue is not ideal. Obviously, organizations that support mental health at work see many benefits, including increased productivity, better retention and recruitment, and reduced absenteeism. Furthermore, offering mental health support can serve as a preventative measure for burnout or other issues before they arise. What can leaders do to support mental health in the workplace?

9 Suggestions

1. Provide mental health resources – Offer resources that will directly help workers with mental health issues. For example, establish an employee assistance program (EAP), which allows workers and their direct families to access mental health professionals confidentially and without cost. For those who aren’t clear whether they need help, provide screening resources. And promote your company’s resources so everyone knows what is available to them and how to access it. 
2. Educate leaders about mental health issues – First, teach leaders how to identify warning signs, particularly early signs of problems like depression or anxiety (see #7 Monitor employee performance). Second, train leaders on how to intervene and respond if they observe signs of depression or anxiety. They should first offer support by listening without judgment and then direct the worker to next steps (signing off on mental health day, offering flexible work hours, adjusting the deadline of a project or team members helping, referring the worker to an EAP, and so on). 
3. Value open communication – If leaders are going to have a chance at recognizing early warning signs in their team members, they will have to have regular, open communication. Specifically, a successful leader should do regular check-ins, use active listening, overcommunicate about any organizational changes or updates, and be vulnerable toward the team to strengthen bonds. 
4. Make it normal to discuss mental health – The pandemic affected everyone and has changed how we talk about mental health. Just as you would hear about a colleague with a sore throat, you want to make workers feel equally safe disclosing a mental health issue. Leaders could provide educational resources about mental health to increase the skills necessary to have productive discussions, and then use that communication to reduce the stigma. 
5. Include mental health coverage – Some provincial legislation recognizes psychological health and safety as part of overall heath and safety responsibilities. Part of the health care plan should include mental health, alternative care (massage, chiropractors, acupuncture, naturopath), and substance abuse disorders. 
6. Promote wellbeing – Show your team that you care as much about their mental health as you do about their productivity. Do this by supporting mental health in the same way as physical health (days off), ensure workers take time away from work on a regular basis, and make it easy for them when they come back. Also be as flexible as possible, show vulnerability and your own struggles, and demonstrate how you prioritize your own wellbeing by setting boundaries and engaging in self-care. 
7. Monitor employee performance –Leaders need to monitor employees to learn how they’re doing, their primary stressors, and needs. Leaders could measure things like hours worked, overtime, workload, productivity, absences to see if there has been a change in anything. Furthermore, workers could be surveyed about their mental wellness, engagement, or psychological safety at work to help enhance support and shape new programs.
8. Offer personalized support –Leaders should ask how to best support everyone at work, and this is likely different for each worker. Some may feel they want more training opportunities, others a meditation room at work, or the creation of a mental health support group. Even if leaders can’t give everyone exactly what they want, taking the time to ask improves workers’ mental health.
9. Modify mental health policies – Ideally your policies and practices should be tangible so they can best support workers. Issues such as what should a worker do if they want help with their mental health, how to deliver resources to them, and so on, should be specified. Your policies should expand to include all aspects of a psychologically unsafe workplace, such as harassment and bullying. 

We’re Here to Help

We recognize that leaders want to do whatever they can to support their workers’ mental health, and we’re here to help. Please contact us at info@primebenefitsgroup.com so we can work together and create solutions that work best for you and your organization. 

Suggested Readings

• https://ontario.cmha.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/CMHA_Mental-Health-Works-Guidebook-8.5-x11r.pdf
• https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/mentalhealth_work.html

Additional Resources

• https://www.ccohs.ca/topics/wellness/mentalhealth/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjRO0QcvPJI