Workplace as Cushion: The Power to Amplify Mental Wellbeing

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Early in my journey, I discovered the powerful interconnection between work and mental wellbeing. When I graduated from Hillsdale High School in 1994, I felt extraordinary enthusiasm to attend the University of Michigan and leave my hometown. I saw my future taking shape well beyond the place where my family was rooted to our farm. Ann Arbor promised sophistication, learning, new people, and fun. My brain spent boundless hours imagining my next season.

The abundance of stimuli felt intoxicating and overwhelming. There was much to see, learn, and discover, starkly contrasting my experiences and life in Hillsdale. Within the first week of moving into Couzens Hall, I wanted to go home. On my first evening, as we carted boxes from my dad’s car to my first dorm, my mattress was stolen. I struggled with my roommate, and she eventually started locking me out of our room at night, and I slept in the lobby of the dorm. I remember a low ripple bubbling over weeks as I walked to and from classes.

While it was hard, by my sophomore year, things had gotten better. And yet, I continued to consider how I might support feeling less “restlessness,” which is how I described the anxiety and depression I was facing. I thought about how comforting it was to be at home. I remember vividly deciding to find a family seeking to hire a nanny in hopes that if I did that work, I might experience a “home away from home” in Ann Arbor. I imagined a peace I could enjoy even through a part-time role where I was away from campus in a setting that felt closer to home.

I interviewed with several families and was hired by a couple of University of Michigan professors. The two daughters I supported were in school. My job three days a week was to pick them up, take them to afterschool activities, help with homework, and cook a meal so that when the parents returned home, they could focus on time with their family. ?As I started, I immediately saw improvements in my mental health. I had a connection with the parents as my employers. The girls made me laugh, and time with them was a relief. I felt a purpose in supporting their life. Balancing this job with my schoolwork at the University of Michigan left me less time to focus on my distress. This job played a significant role in improving my mental health.

As we shape the future of work, the role of the workplace in mental wellbeing must be prioritized. According to Deloitte’s Global 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, “About a third of respondents who regularly feel stressed or anxious say that their jobs (36% of Gen Zs? and 33% of millennials) and their work/life balance (34% of Gen Zs and 30% of millennials) contribute a lot to their stress levels, roughly consistent with last year. Stressors at work include not getting recognition for their work (51% of Gen Zs and 53% of millennials), long working hours (51% of both generations), and not having enough time to complete work (50% of Gen Zs and 45% of millennials). Some also cite a lack of control over how or where they work (44% of both generations).”

UKG’s Workforce Institute published “Mental Health at Work: Managers and Money.” They report:

• “Sixty percent of employees worldwide say their job is the biggest factor influencing their mental health.
• Managers have just as much of an impact on people’s mental health as their spouse (both 69%) — and even more of an impact than their doctor (51%) or therapist (41%).
• Eighty-one percent of employees worldwide would prioritize good mental health over a high-paying job, and 64% admit they would take a pay cut for a job that better supports their mental wellness.”

As we consider how we might proactively integrate mental wellbeing into our future-of-work strategies, here are five steps to make credit unions employers of choice:

(1)?? Shape and elevate our employer brand tied to our purpose. Credit unions stand well-positioned to elevate mental wellbeing as a strategic driver of becoming an employer of choice, starting with the purpose-driven work that is foundational to our roots as financial cooperatives. Deloitte’s Global 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey also notes that “The majority of Gen Zs (86%) and millennials (89%) say having a sense of purpose is important to their overall job satisfaction and wellbeing.”

Storytelling for credit unions must not solely focus on how we attract and retain members. It must also be about a stronger commitment to growing thought leadership and focusing resources on attracting talent. Our movement’s purpose and impact must stand as the fulcrum of this messaging.

(2)?? Create space for creativity, innovation, and the invitation for new ideas. Purpose extends from the organization’s vision and mission. For purpose to fuel an organization into igniting new ideas, employees must feel purpose exploding from the work they bring to life. Feeling heard and stretched to try new things and being a part of a team that tests and tries new things can magnify meaning in work. This marries our movement’s need to stretch ourselves to build innovation as a competency with the human capital needed to invest in people and their mental health.

(3)?? Invite co-creation for mental health solutions within the workplace. While themes emerge, individuals often respond to unique options for enhancing mental wellbeing. For some, having time and space for exercise in the middle of the workday can create a release and reduce stress. For others, prioritizing human connection and social engagements works more effectively. Yet others need quiet solitude at short intervals throughout the day. Inviting a group of team members to share their own preferences and ideas and crafting options to make multiple choices available to shape choices for employees can ensure team members feel heard and grow creative alternatives. Imagine the multiplying effect of creating a digital catalog of those options and asking those who try something different to share their experience.

(4)?? Open the door to your own mental health experiences. One of the many reasons we were excited to focus our efforts at In the Cellar on mental wellbeing in coordination with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is our commitment as leaders to erase the stigma associated with talking about mental health. The skepticism, doubt, and fear that come with sharing our struggles with mental wellbeing multiplies the impact of struggling with mental health.

According to “Understanding and Addressing Mental Health Stigma Across Cultures for Improving Psychiatric Care: A Narrative Review” by Ahad, Sanchez-Gonzalez, and Junquera, “Pervasive in all aspects of psychiatric care, stigma leads to delayed treatment, increased morbidity, and diminished quality of life for those with poor mental health.” Speaking up matters. Deloitte’s Global 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey notes that “senior leaders opening up about their own experience of mental health can help mitigate stigma, but the survey finds that roughly three in 10 do not have senior leaders (27% of Gen Zs and 34% of millennials) who share their own experiences. And a similar percentage (26% of Gen Zs and 32% of millennials) say their senior leaders do not speak about prioritizing mental health in their organizations.” Sharing our experiences humanizes leaders and creates a path for those needing support. It also weakens the long-standing stigma of sharing mental health challenges.

(5)?? Create cushions. As employers, we have a responsibility to shape cushions. We must listen. We must create genuine connections. We must nurture experiences that grow relationships. Human beings need one another. Imagine a future of work that, in a role-based way, crafts a strategy that maximizes work outputs and outcomes and prioritizes human connection. How we show up as leaders through behaviors to nurture human experience shapes how much trust team members will grow. That trust will influence their openness to engage in mental health workplace solutions.

The connection and joyful memories I feel about the family I nannied for shine. That work played a role in a painful moment in my mental health journey. Imagine the possibilities of growing that connection and passion for your credit union many times over. In a time when more people are hurting and struggling with mental health pain, credit unions can support our members and simultaneously model the power of a human-first culture. We can magnify our impact as employers. Committing to mental health can shift the overall wellbeing outcomes of Americans.

How might you provide cushions today???