A Little Bit of "Give a S**t"

The views expressed below are my own and are not representative of my employer.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a lot of discussion about mental well-being in the workplace. Time and time again, survey results of U.S. workers have shown that mental health is a priority to them.

The WHO’s World Mental Health Report, published in June 2022, showed that of one billion people living with a mental disorder in 2019, 15% of working-age adults experienced a mental disorder. I suspect this number is likely higher following the pandemic. And, due to the stigma that persists around mental disorders people are not disclosing this information - even in an anonymous survey. According to a 2022 survey by JobSage of more than 2.000 working Americans, 1 in 4 employees won’t discuss mental health at work, so it’s unlikely employees are going to spell out for their employer what they are struggling with and how their employer can support them. Perhaps that’s why employers have been slow to respond to the mental health crisis impacting their employees: they don’t know what to do. Believing this is better than believing one of the alternate options: that they don’t care. Or that they don’t think this is their problem to solve - and yet, it is - your employees are telling you it is by leaving your company. In the same JobSage poll, researchers found that 28 percent of working Americans indicated that they’ve left a job in the last two years because of its impact on their mental health. Nearly two in five Americans have considered quitting for this reason. Sure - this isn’t the only driving force behind what's been referred to as "the Great Resignation", but it is a factor.

I cannot tell you what your employees need in terms of mental health support. But what I can tell you is how to start: With a little bit of?genuine?‘give a shit.’ If you cannot muster a little bit of give a shit, you shouldn’t be in the business of leading people. Having that and empathy is the first step in addressing this issue.

From there, take a look at your company values. If you’re going to make a bold declaration about caring for your people, you have to back that up with action - policies that support your values. If you’re not going to follow through, then caring for you people is not a value of your organization. And that’s okay, but do not tell people you care and act in opposition to that statement. And, if your company does have values such as this when times are difficult, that’s the time when you need to let your values guide you. Letting your values guide you is easy when times are good. But when times are tough? I’ve seen values go out the window in a hurry.

How do your policies convey to your employees that you care? Take a look at your policies - do they support your employees' mental well-being? Can your employees take time off to tend to the mental wellness of their family members and themselves? Do you have an adequate bereavement policy? Does it address pregnancy loss? If there is room for improvement, update your policies. If you’re not taking action in this way, is it because you’re afraid someone will abuse the policy? We’ll talk about that in a moment.

Are you a flexible employer or manager? I completely understand that some jobs do not allow for much flexibility or remote work (which is definitely a flexibility enhancer). But if your employee is in a role where flexibility is possible: encourage this! What does it matter if your employee needs to come in a little later because they have a child to drop at school? Find out what’s important to your employee outside of work and look for ways to support that. How do you do that? For starters, meet with your employee on a regular basis to build a personal and professional relationship with them. Ask them! Model flexibility to your employees by letting them know when you won’t be available because you’re going to see your child receive an award at school, or in order to take a sick pet to the vet, or go to an appointment that supports your own well-being. When you’re off of work - be off and respect your employees' ability to be off as well. Are your time off policies adequate and are you encouraging people to take their time off?

Do you have a robust, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that you can partner with to help facilitate workplace discussions around mental health? You don’t have to be an expert on mental health or go it alone, consider engaging with an EAP to assist you. Keep this program top of mind for your managers and employees. Assure employees of the confidentiality of the EAP.

Are you asking your employees, via your own anonymous survey, if they feel your policies and benefits support their well-being and asking how you can improve? If not, give it a try. But remember to close the feedback loop - even if the answer is no, no is an answer. I would encourage you to expand on “No” by being transparent and sharing the why.

Ensure your managers are aware of the policies & support them. If you’re concerned that your employees will abuse the policies and benefits available to them, try these anyway. In the (unlikely) event that someone is taking advantage of these policies, consider if their work is slipping. Are they meeting the needs of their various stakeholders? If not, address their performance by engaging in conversation with them.

I think that what employees are referring to related to mental health in the workplace is that it's important to them to see a little bit of "give a shit" for them as people.

The pre-sale campaign for my upcoming book, Enough: Stop Playing Small, Examine What You Tolerate & Take Action begins this Friday, November 18th. I write about how managers can lead with empathy, support employees, and model healthy boundaries. I also address how to fix culture (doable but difficult). ?

How do you show your employees you care? How does your company support the mental wellbeing of your employees? Let me know!

www.maggiehsmithhr.com