Mental Health in the Workplace: It’s About Time! 

By Joseline Castaños, Ph.D. and Ashley Dugger, DBA, SHRM-CP

You’ve probably heard that May is Mental Health Awareness Month. But did you know that it was established in 1949 by Mental Health America? For over 70 years, the United States has highlighted May as Mental Health Awareness Month to promote the importance of mental health in our lives, increase awareness and access to resources, reduce stigma, and celebrate recovery. 

Despite many efforts, stigma remains prevalent in our society. There is still a fear surrounding the topic. There is hesitation to talk about the subject, ask questions, or refer individuals to resources. One area in much need of improvement is the workplace. We spend many of our waking hours at work. Though we may experience job satisfaction and a call to our mission at work, it is also where we encounter challenges, deal with many individuals and personalities, and find stressors. Yet, work is the least likely place where we will hear about mental health and well-being, other than the yearly campaign highlighting mental health awareness month. 

Employers may want to think twice about this hands-off approach. After all, an open and safe space to address mental health and to connect employees with resources benefits not only the individuals themselves but companies as well. Employee satisfaction and productivity increase when employees feel safe, appreciated, and cared for. Absenteeism and presenteeism decrease, and employee longevity in the company reduces turnover. Everyone wins!

SHRM recently published  findings from the Workforce Institute at UKG that noted managers and leaders can have a more significant impact on employee mental health than their healthcare professionals or therapists, and that in their research around 60 percent of employees surveyed (2,200 employees and 1,200 leaders spanning 10 different countries) noted work/their job was considered to be “the most significant factor in their mental health”. Perhaps most concerning from this research? That in this one survey alone, one out of every five respondents noted the impact from their day to day work on their mental health is negative, resulting in burnout, exhaustion, increasingly heavy workloads, and that one-third of respondents also said they hardly ever, or even never, discussed these issues with their leaders. 

As we begin to hear more on the research and impact that issues like overwhelming workload, toxic culture, lack of boundaries, and trying to juggle personal and professional responsibilities can lead to declines in mental health, organizations must take notice. We never know the full stories and struggles our employees are dealing with outside of the workplace – but we can all play a part in building and nurturing an organizational culture that puts a positive culture, creation and maintenance of psychological and physical safety, and life balance and support at the top of the priority list. Employees today are, more than ever, seeking professional environments where they are treated positively. As companies struggle in today’s labor market to both recruit and retain strong talent, it isn’t always about the salary, benefits, or remote working opportunities – how people are treated day to day, if they  have an empathetic and supportive leader and team, and if your colleagues treat you with decency, respect, kindness, and willingness to collaborate may matter just as much, if not more, as traditional working rewards for many employees. 

Within HR teams especially, making the conversations around mental health support, discussions, and use of resources commonplace and without stigma or fear of lack of psychological safety, is incredibly important. So often HR can feel like an island – particularly for those on small, or even HR Department of One, teams. Who does HR turn to when they need a confidential partner to discuss mental health concerns with, just get some workplace support, or run a tough situation past a trusted partner? It can feel like a huge challenge in some cases, and when we speak with those in various HR roles this topic comes up quite regularly – who does HR go to when they need someone like HR to support them? Whether you are the sole HR manager for your organization, or part of a larger HR team, knowing how to support HR professionals’ mental health so that they can continue to  strategically support business decisions and develop employees, should be top of mind. Encourage the development of mentoring relationships – not just in regard to career development mentoring, but also resiliency and adaptability mentoring. Share the research on how having a work best friend or trusted confidante in your network of other HR professionals to (appropriately and compliantly, of course!) benchmark decision making and obtain guidance, when needed, can impact the mental health of HR professionals. Make sure all HR employees know about, and feel comfortable using, resources like Employee Assistance Programs, mental health apps/subscriptions, and wellness initiatives that support mental health and help avoid burnout. Normalize using paid time off for mental, as well as physical, illness. Check in on those around you – you’d be surprised how often we hear “no one ever asks HR how they’re handling tough times, only how they’re planning to support the rest of the workforce”.

Companies must invest in resources to care for employees. Resources may include Employee Assistance Programs with several covered therapy sessions for difficulties they encounter. Employers also have the opportunity to offer innovative technology-based solutions to manage well-being through apps/services like Calm, Headspace, Sonic Boom, etc. Another way to engage employees in well-being is through webinars with internal or external experts who can speak about prevention tools or managing stress and anxiety. Hopefully, these webinars have a set recurrence and more than just once a year for Mental Health Awareness Month. Employers should be intentional in communicating all the resources through announcements in meetings, emails, 1:1 meetings, and having a compilation of all resources in a one-stop-shop (SharePoint, Internal Webpage, etc.). The resources are often scattered, and employees cannot find them when they need them the most. 

As individuals, we also have various resources available through organizations constantly working to raise awareness about mental health and provide access to resources. The Suicide Prevention Lifeline (988)is finally a reality. Individuals can call, text, or chat 24/7, either in English or Spanish. 988 allows us to connect with someone anytime in crisis to get proper help resources. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)offers education, support, and advocacy through free classes, support groups, warm lines, and a hotline via phone or text: Lifeline 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), Text TALK to 741741. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration offers a distress helpline 24/7 at 1-800-985-5990. Finally, the American Foundation for Suicide Preventionreaffirms that You Are Not Alone. All these resources are available to individuals, and companies and HR personnel would serve employees well by promoting these organizations’ vital support.

Visit WGU at booth #4010 during the SHRM Annual Conference in Las Vegas this June and learn more about WGU and our new MSHRM launching in November!