Mental Health of Personnel
The effects of work-related stress have become more acute. What can businesses do to look after mental health at work?
With three-fifths of employees experiencing work-related mental health problems, businesses have recognized that the well-being of their staff is at least partly their responsibility. But while there has been some improvement in the amount of support offered to employees, more needs to be done.
This is due to the changes of recent months and the psychological effects of working at home for an extended period of time. Among the consequences of working in an environment of isolation without mental health care are a feeling of loneliness, stress, irritability, and anxiety.
If left unaddressed, these difficulties can begin to affect well-being and performance. But what can companies do?
What is mental health?
The first thing to do is to get informed. According to the WHO, mental health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. It is not just the absence of disease or illness, as there is no complete well-being without good mental health. It is key to staying healthy.
This state of mental well-being is determined by multiple social, psychological, and biological factors, which if overlooked in the work environment, can lead to Burnout syndrome or high turnover.
Not long ago, exactly on October 10, Mental Health Day was celebrated worldwide to draw attention to the importance of this issue. For 1 in 4, people have some kind of mental disorder.
Why it is important for your company
We could start by showing you figures and studies, but the reality is that if your employees feel a lot of stress due to work, they will not be able or willing to fulfill their obligations. Their potential will be limited and the company’s development will be truncated.
Companies need their people. Even more so now when the labor market is changing rapidly. And not only that but here are more reasons why mental health at work is important:
- Depression and anxiety are estimated to cost the economy US$ 1 trillion in lost productivity annually, according to the WHO
- 49% of remote workers say their biggest struggle is related to wellness
- 24% of companies found employees to have very high-stress levels
- Only 23% of companies have containment plans for such situations, according to a Mercer Marsh Benificios survey
- 67% of people have felt higher levels of negative stress during quarantine, according to Qualtricps and SAP.
This is why by taking care of the mental health of your staff you will not only have a healthy team but also a team committed to giving its best effort. But how to address this issue in companies?
Factors affecting mental well-being at work
Faced with this, there are many factors in the work environment that may be affecting your mental health or that of your team in general, which in most cases, is due to conditions such as:
- Work overload
- Low level of employee support
- The low decision-making power of staff
- Inadequate or non-existent health and safety policies.
- Lack of control of the work area
- Rigid work schedules
- Inefficient management and communication practices
- Lack of clarity in organizational areas or objectives.
Keys to taking care of the mental health of your employees
So, if you have felt or evidenced any of the conditions mentioned above, relax! In this post, we will address from the hand of Andrea Pineda, psychologist, and specialist in occupational health and safety of ARL Positiva in Colombia, 6 keys to taking care of the mental health of your employees:
Define boundaries between work and personal hours:
In the new normal of teleworking, 100% of the working day is usually available for meetings and work-related activities, which leads to losing contact with your circle of friends, and family and you even run the risk of becoming a workaholic. Visit Health wellbeing where you will find lots of useful tips and information about mental health.
Try to maintain spaces and schedules in which your work team is aware of when the workday begins, develops, and ends. Good coordination in this aspect is vital to avoid mental health problems.