From silence to support: How leaders can encourage mental health discussions

Employees are struggling with more than just their workload. People are also dealing with the fear of job loss and the life-changing effects of a global pandemic. Some are overwhelmed with caregiver responsibilities, taking care of children, or financial challenges. Others may have physical and mental disabilities that require additional assistance and support from their employers.?

Company leaders cannot ignore their team’s well-being – especially if they want to increase productivity, retention, and overall employee satisfaction.

About 62.1% of Workable respondents say workplace mental health is already a priority for their employers, and 23.7% will prioritize mental health in their company going forward.

However, there are barriers. Not all employees feel comfortable talking about mental health at work – especially those from historically underrepresented communities – and not all employers know how to address these concerns in a meaningful and practical way.

Creating a safe workplace to talk about mental health requires active listening, empathy, and action. If your company wants to build a culture of well-being, here are four ways leaders can start the conversation and work toward actionable solutions.

Start with education.

Companies can invest in training leaders and managers to better understand the symptoms of mental health challenges and how to provide support to employees who may be struggling. This can include learning how to recognize signs of stress, anxiety, or depression and how to approach difficult conversations with employees without judgment. Managers can also learn more about adjusting work priorities, avoiding micromanagement, and setting realistic expectations with team members.??

Employers can also provide training for employees on how to recognize the signs of stress and burnout, how to support colleagues, and where to find resources for help.

Encourage leaders to open up about their own mental health struggles.?

Senior executives also struggle with their mental health. In fact, 70% say burnout affects their ability to make decisions.???

Sharing personal stories about mental health struggles can help break down barriers. This may be uncomfortable because it requires vulnerability. But in the long run, this transparency can encourage others to share their experiences as well.?

Dialogue can then move into a place where team members are sharing what they’ve done to make their mental health a priority, what they’re actively doing, and what they can do in the future to prevent workplace stress and burnout.?

Ask employees what they need.?

Once employees see that leadership has invested in mental health training and are sharing their personal challenges, they may be more likely to advocate for support.?

It’s important to note that not everyone will engage in these conversations the same way. If your company is just starting to talk about mental health in the workplace, you can share an anonymous survey to engage those who fear being judged or aren’t comfortable sharing private information about their health. After looking at survey feedback, your team can then hold a community discussion for those who are more confident advocating for themselves in a group setting.?

When employees see that leadership is making an effort to increase dialogue, managers should have regular 1:1 conversations with employees to evaluate their workloads, encourage them to use their PTO, and identify how they can provide more support.?

Managers can ask questions such as:

• Do you feel comfortable talking about your mental health with your manager, supervisor, colleagues, or company leaders?
• Do you have an understanding of what mental health resources are available to you at this company?
• What tasks or workplace practices have a negative impact on your mental health?
• What can the organization start doing to better support your mental health?
• How satisfied are you with the mental health support provided by the organization?

This is not a one-time conversation. Leaders should continue to conduct surveys, group discussions, and 1:1 meetings on a regular basis and encourage feedback.?

Update employees regularly on what changes are being made.?

If your team is less likely to ask for additional resources and support, it may be because they don’t feel that leadership will do anything with the feedback.?

Sharing progress updates is a great way to practice transparency and build trust. On a monthly basis, leaders can highlight how they are embedding mental health support into their company culture by sharing:?

• Mental health resources that are available at the moment.
• Policies and resources coming soon and when they’ll go into effect.?
• How employees can share feedback on the progress being made.?
• How employees can ask for support in the meantime.

The best way to keep an open dialogue with employees is to take action, communicate progress, and create a culture of feedback.?

Work with Perfeqta to build an engaging and inclusive workplace culture.

We’ll help your team develop workplace strategies that boost engagement, improve retention, and foster a culture of belonging.

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