Top 5 components of a workplace mental health strategy
Workplace mental health strategy
The coronavirus pandemic crisis will remain a workplace stressor even as workers return to the office. But employers can choose to combat its worsening effects as well as other negative factors that weigh on employee mental health.
Here are five ways employers can build a workplace mental health strategy.
1. Assess the current state
Employers can’t improve what they don’t understand. Business and HR leaders can begin to understand their workers’ mental health Company culture: Does the culture de-stigmatize mental health? If yes, how? If no, what actions can help change the culture?
Manager mindset: Do managers show that they care about the mental health and well-being of their team members? What specific actions do they take?
Individual employee mental health: When employees feel stressed, do they know where to turn for assistance? Do they understand their mental health benefits?
2. Demonstrate empathetic leadership
Many leaders are understanding that empathy is a strength and are making moves in that direction. Empathy is particularly important when dealing with employee mental health.
Marriott International leadership understood that when they created programs to lower stress — including financial stress — and boost resilience.
When the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017 gave companies a tax windfall, the company’s late CEO Arne Sorenson and current CHRO David Rodriguez created a $140 million package of programs to support employees, starting with a one-time $5-to-$1 retirement savings match. Marriott also launched a program called TakeCare, which provided Marriott employees with the opportunity to build skills, develop meaningful relationships and make a positive and sustainable impact on the world. TakeCare offers education and resources beyond physical well-being and includes programs that target mental and emotional health, career development, financial planning, team-building, recognition, social impact and sustainability.
“Choosing an employer is a lifestyle choice just as important as where you live, so your employer should add to the quality of one’s personal and professional life,” Rodriguez said about these efforts.
3. Weave mental health well-being into the workplace culture
Regardless of how strong your workplace health well-being program is, if it is not integrated into the company culture, it will not have traction or lasting impact on the organization and workforce.
“More companies need to embed mental health into everything they do — from leader communications to new hire onboarding programs, leadership development training, and a host of ERG [employee resource group] programs already in existence at [many] companies,” said Joe Grasso, a clinical psychologist at Lyra Health, a software company focused on mental health, headquartered in Burlingame, Calif. “More companies need to create open forums for employees to share their experiences in seeking mental health care.”
Self-care is an important aspect of mental health. Business and HR leaders can work to create a proactive communications program that educates employees and their managers on the signs of burnout and how to put self-care into practice. Self-care starts with employers taking a deliberate approach and, to the extent possible, a holistic view of employee well-being and offering services and programs across physical, emotional, financial, social and spiritual well-being.
4. Educate employees on mental health services
Many workers don’t understand how to access mental health services, and business and HR leaders need to correct this.
Sixty percent of employees paid for mental health care out of pocket in 2020 despite being insured HR teams and other appropriate representatives need to communicate proactively about the benefit plan an organization adopts, explain what it covers and be clear about how to reach out for help.
A holistic workplace mental health strategy is key, but today a number of digital tools exist to help deliver that.
5. Measure mental health strategy effectiveness
As with any other initiative, companies need to establish metrics to measure the effectiveness of the mental health programs they establish. Companies will need to work with mental health providers on creating a dashboard of tools to measure the value of these services to the workforce. They also need to go beyond measuring participation rates to focus on clinical outcomes of the programs.
Jeanne Meister is managing partner of Future Workplace, an HR executive network and membership firm that offers peer networks and online courses, such as “Nurturing Employee Wellbeing,” in Future Workplace Academy.