Emerging Practices in Staff Development: A focus on Mental Health

Staff development is a continual process that supports employees' personal and professional growth and involves the expansion of a person's capacity to operate proficiently in their current or future employment and workplace. Employers are gradually realizing that optimizing human resources necessitates a deep awareness that employees are first and foremost human beings. There is a good deal of research surrounding the practices aimed at the professional and experiential development of staff. This article aims to highlight emerging practices, with a focus on mental health and wellness.?

Staff development and Mental Health??

According to the Kenya Health Policy of 2015-2030 one of the main factors influencing both general health and socioeconomic advancement is mental health. Over time, there has been an increasing awareness of the impact of mental health on personal development, resulting in a greater emphasis on its value in the workplace.?

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) published a study in 2020 describing the concerns associated with mental health practices such as working environment, that were linked to a breakdown in the capacity to cope with life's challenges including, financial difficulties, or chronic pain and disease. The research found that 25% of out-patients consulting in health facilities are suffering from a mental condition like depression. This number nearly doubles to 40% for in-patients.??

Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that there is a concerning rise in depression, which is frequently associated with cases of suicide. Work-related stress has been identified as a main cause of depression, creating a focus on mental health in the workplace as part of staff development practices. There is notable positive feedback in work environments where the general mental wellness of employees is upheld.??

Steps towards mental health development of employees through the IBP Kenya lens?

Flexible working environment?

A flexible working environment is a workplace that gives staff members flexibility in terms of how, when, and where they work to promote their mental health, for example hybrid working. This approach acknowledges that not all people can perform at their best in a typical 9:00 am –5:00 pm working environment. Overtime, IBP Kenya adopted a hybrid working-hour model. Employees can select their preferred workspace three days a week, while the two other days are designated in-person office days. This flexibility considers staff diversity by accommodating differences in commute times and preferred workspaces, among other things. Along with creating staff goals and outlining responsibilities, there are also check-ins beyond work expectations to assess personal wellbeing.??

Promotion of work life balance??

The equilibrium that people try to attain between their professional obligations (work) and their personal lives outside of work (life) is known as work-life balance. It's critical to encourage staff to strike this balance to avoid burnout. At IBP Kenya, we continue to strive to develop policies and norms that give employees a well-rounded and integrated work life. We continue to implement an integrated WorkLife programme in recognition that employees have lives outside of the office that require some flexibility on working days. To put this into practice, we provide an environment for employees to handle critical personal issues, such as family and medical matters, that may come up during regular business hours. This lessens the practice of locking people into a routine while significant personal issues remain unresolved, which is a surefire way to lead to stress accumulation, ineffective work output, and ultimately deterioration of mental health.?

Employee wellness practices??

These programs are aimed at supporting and promoting, physical, emotional and mental well-being of the staff. They can include a gym subscription or workshops that involve employee training on nutrition. At IBP Kenya, we believe that to promote holistic wellbeing, employee mental health should be incorporated into all employee practices as opposed to existing as a stand-alone programme.??

As a part of our medical insurance plan, employees have access to therapy sessions to address topics such as work-life balance, nutrition, and mental wellness. Additionally, an advanced performance management system is being implemented that goes beyond checking boxes and instead fosters relationships and candid discussions about what is and is not working. Finally, we are cultivating a culture of leadership where staff are encouraged to lead teams in projects, creating a sense of belonging and effort appreciation.??

At IBP Kenya, we value the need for open discussions about individual wellness requirements and the best adaptions we can make to address them. We recently created a designated wellness area where staff members can take time to relax in their own private space as a brief break from working in the office.?

We continue to strive to better diversify our workforce, promote equity in our policies by conducting a diversity equity and inclusion audit to identify any pre-existing biases or exclusions from parts of our processes, like recruitment and remuneration.?

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