The Mattingly Award will focus on the key structure, process, and outcome measures reflective of exemplary workplace mental health programs. Indicators of success can include increased EAP awareness, utilization of and satisfaction with available resources, and a reduction in stigma related to mental health. Implementing positive leadership practices can serve as a foundation for building and maintaining a positive organizational climate.
Healthy Work Environment
Identify someone you feel comfortable with and who will be supportive. Talking about your feelings can help you maintain your mental health and deal with times when you feel troubled. Most of the time those feelings pass, but sometimes they develop into a mental health problem like anxiety or depression, which can impact on our daily lives. We all have times when we feel down, stressed or frightened.
Stress
Having workplace leaders take on roles of wellness champions can be encouraging to employees when they are facing mental health issues. Depending on the EAP provider, scope of service offerings, program utilization, alignment with organizational culture, and the quality of care, EAP outcomes may vary.25 What originated as a program to address alcohol misuse in the workplace has expanded to include a myriad of https://3cisd.com/how-motivational-interviewing-supports-behavior-change/ services such as clinical assessments, brief counseling, and referral to community resources that provide counseling services including those focused on financial wellness.26 These variables may include the physical and social environment of the workplace, the workplace’s values and norms, and the “unconscious assumptions that make up the culture of an organization.”18 Thus, establishing a strong culture of mental health can make a difference in the awareness, utilization, and impact of programming efforts to build a mentally healthy workforce. Although best practices and award criteria were evaluated through a largely US-centric perspective, standards and references included in this paper shall provide a meaningful baseline against which multinational companies can evaluate their global programs, with the exception of health benefits coverage and access to providers are unique to the US workforce.
Training related to mental health has gained in popularity in recent years and is often a core element of employers’ workforce mental health efforts. Practices in the Communication category include having a formal communication plan for workforce mental health efforts that is aligned with an overarching mental health strategy, implemented consistently, and updated regularly based on changing risks and needs. Additionally, effective workforce mental health communications can help reduce stigma and improve employee help seeking (92). Mature workforce mental health efforts have processes for proactively identifying psychosocial hazards and managing risks, policies and practices that promote psychological well-being, and work design that bolsters mental health. Examples include workforce surveys, all-hands meetings, one-on-one or small group interactions with managers and leadership, physical and virtual suggestion boxes, and anonymous whistleblower hotlines.
Many job applicants will be fearful of disclosing information relating to their mental health problems because misunderstanding about poor mental health is still widespread. Ensure people can disclose a mental health problem confidentially and that any information about health or disability is kept separate from the application form, so the recruitment panel does not see it. A key source of work-related stress and poor mental health is a misfit between the individual and the role, or between the needs and values of the person and those of the work environment. The first day back at work is very important, whether the employee is returning to a workplace or working from home. The employee should be told this meeting will help them make a successful and lasting return to the workplace and address any ongoing health needs. When the person is ready to return, managers should arrange to meet up in a neutral and comfortable venue to discuss the details of the employee’s return.
- Having a fulfilling job can be good for your mental health and wellbeing.
- Investing in a mentally healthy workplace is good for business, helping to reduce absenteeism and decreased disability costs while improving employee morale and productivity.
- In this article, we reviewed the range of evidence-informed actions needed for organizations to comprehensively address workforce mental health.
- Most will be able to work successfully, especially when mental health is understood and supported by their employer.
- Although burnout and mental health challenges can exist in any work environment, the problem is particularly exacerbated when it comes to start-ups.
Mental health benefits span a wide range of clinical services, including both inpatient treatment and outpatient psychotherapy, which are important for worker mental health and productivity (97, 98). When funding is private, employers may pay for or subsidize care and in circumstances when services are covered by the government (i.e., funded through taxes), employers may provide supplemental insurance or private care outside of the government health system. There are various healthcare models across the globe, with service delivery and funding coming from government, private organizations, or a combination of the two.