Mental health in the workplace. Thankfully, it’s becoming a more openly talked about subject. We spend so much of our lives at work, that it’s incredibly important that there are ways and means in place for the workplace to help with the mental health and well-being of their employees. It’s equally important for employees to feel that they have ways and means of talking about and being able to make a positive contribution to their own mental health and well-being. So, let’s talk about one of the biggest elephants in the room, shall we?
Talking openly
Perhaps most importantly for both employees and employers, there needs to be the space for people to talk openly about their mental health in the workplace. This means that problems are much less likely to build up. If someone doesn’t feel able to talk about their own mental health, an employee’s morale may be significantly lessened. At worst, an employee may well need to take time out of work to manage their own mental health.
As such, a workplace can benefit enormously from developing and fostering an environment where people can talk openly. It’s of the last importance then, that employees make the effort to understand mental health and educate their employees accordingly. More practical ways of doing this may be as follows:
◊ Arranging mental health awareness training days, workshops, or days out of the office, so to speak.
◊ Making sure that employees have regular one-to-ones with managers, in an environment where people can speak openly and freely without the worry of judgement or punishment.
Working openly
It’s all very well and good being able to talk openly, but if people feel that they cannot work openly, then we are only tackling half of the problem. So, how do you promote a positive working environment (in the literal sense)?
First, it’s worth taking the time to create and champion a healthy work/life balance within your workplace. Productively is likely to increase by helping to develop this sort of thing. Employees burn out is a very real thing that occurs and can cost a business enormously. So, it’s critical for employers to take the time to help employees to develop a full and fulfilling life in and outside of work. So that employees can ‘switch off’ outside of work. Employees shouldn’t need to feel that they need to commit all of their time to their work. Afterall, human beings are social creatures, and they thrive on having the time to grow, develop, and nurture the relationships that are most dear to them. (At least, according to Aristotle). Promote that.
Second, off the back of human relationships, work on developing an environment where people can mentor and support one another. Some people find it easier to talk to colleagues rather than those who manage, and this isn’t a bad thing. The goal is always to have a positive environment for people to be able to talk with one another. This is the sort of thing that helps with creating a safe and open space for people to feel that they can talk openly and freely, without it affecting their work.
By Erin McKnight, Recruitment Consultant for the South Home Counties and Essex.
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