If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that employees value their mental health in the workplace—and will fight to work in environments that prioritize it, too. This became especially obvious in the Great Resignation where employees left their jobs en masse in an attempt to find better mental health benefits, working conditions, and fair pay.
In short, the pandemic provided the perfect escape route for employees who felt fed up, burnt out, and wanted more from the companies they were giving their time and effort to. But that doesn’t mean employees are perfectly happy now. A recent Fortune survey revealed two-thirds of Americans (66%) have experienced anxiety or depression-related symptoms over the last six months.
Consequently, companies started stepping up their game because…well, they kind of had to. Employees were demanding higher working standards, and proved that they would go to drastic lengths to find a place that met those standards. Companies who listened to their employees saw greater retention success and new paths for growth, while those that didn’t fell behind. These changes came in the form of various perks including more flexible working hours (and environments), access to mental health care, and programs or memberships for wellness-boosting activities.
Introducing benefits that seek to improve employee mental wellbeing can serve as a non-financial avenue for startups to create a larger sense of company ownership and belonging in the business. Why is this important? The Great Resignation (and later Great Reshuffle) has turned up the heat for companies to successfully retain their employees. Just as preventing customer churn is crucial for businesses, so is keeping their employees—and this means keeping them happy and feeling psychologically safe.
With more hybrid and remote workplace structures in place, it’s more important than ever for employers to implement initiatives and procedures to improve mental health in the workplace. Here are five ways they can start:
- Help yourself first. This is what airlines tell us in the event of an emergency—put on your oxygen mask before helping others with theirs. This seems like a no-brainer but is actually more difficult to live out in practice. Running a startup takes a lot of work, time, energy and mental capacity. Make sure you’re looking after your mental and physical well-being before looking to help the rest of your team.
- Set the precedent. The truth is, no matter how much you encourage your employees to speak openly about their mental health and ways to promote it in the workplace, it won’t matter unless you go first. Set the precedent by speaking about your own experience and researching programs and initiatives yourself. This will show employees your level of commitment and create psychological safety for them to express their sentiments as well.
- Offer benefits that prioritize work-life balance. The line between work and life has become blurred as workforces have become more remote and hybrid. Answering an email at 11pm in pajamas may not feel as dramatic as having to go into the office at that time, but it’s still an example of work pervading into life outside of it.
Start by offering more flexible working hours for those who may need adjusted times (parents dropping off their kids at school, those who may be traveling, etc.). You may also consider offering more unique perks including offering discounted or free memberships to gyms, spas, or other wellness-promoting centers, holding company-wide wellness challenges with reward incentives, and providing time off for preventative health care.
- Implement a buddy system. Incorporating intentional 1:1 time between your employees (and even yourself) can be a huge facilitator of boosted mental health. Creating a buddy system where employees have certain people to check in with throughout the week can help stimulate an exchange of best practices for time management and serve as a checkpoint for when things are off.
- Distribute anonymous surveys. At the end of the day, employee feedback is the best indicator of which areas of your company need change. However, employees may not always feel comfortable sharing feedback—or constructive criticisms—openly. Issuing anonymous surveys can enable employees to express how they’re feeling about specific items more freely. These surveys can be used to gain insight into what methods employees want to implement to help their mental health, including more or unlimited PTO, flexible schedules, access to trained mental health professionals, or more.
With so many reports of hostile work environments, increased employee burnout, and the changes associated with the shift to remote and hybrid work, it’s crucial for employers to confront mental health head on. Facilitating initiatives and changes to help improve your employees’ mental health not only helps them but also increases the chances of retention and a healthy work environment.
Looking to learn more about how a mentally healthy workforce can lead to business success? Get in touch with us today to discuss how you can shape your initiatives to contribute towards reaching your business goals.