People join their workplaces with the expectation that it will be a safe space to work. These safety expectations, often unspoken, also extend to psychological safety. The need to make our workplaces psychologically safe for employees is increasingly critical, as various studies highlight the significant prevalence of mental health issues among the workforce.
Having a structured mental well-being program in place has become strategically important for organisations. There are several ways workplaces can launch these programs and help employees feel safe and emotionally resilient. However, incorporating a few best practices into the mental well-being program can accelerate benefits for employees.
Leaders lead the change they want to see
A mental well-being program essentially seeks behavioural shifts, which is only possible when leaders take a proactive role. To normalise conversations about mental health, change employees’ perspectives, and alter attitudes toward those who are emotionally vulnerable, leaders need to lead from the front. Regularly bringing up this subject during meetings, sharing anecdotes about personal challenges and resilience, and educating employees are some steps leaders can take. When it comes to adopting mental well-being practices, leaders should walk the talk.
Such practices would not only encourage employees to open up and seek help but also inspire them to contribute to making the work environment safe for their co-workers.
Consistent communication around well-being
We must acknowledge that the mental well-being program is about addressing deep-seated beliefs and notions about mental health. To help employees unlearn these beliefs and adopt new perspectives, an active and engaging communication plan is essential. To help employees acknowledge and tackle their objections, gather social proof, and give the new paradigm a try, the well-being program must communicate actively and regularly with employees.
Share rich educational content, publicise resources, processes, and benefits, create opportunities for employees to engage in conversations on various mental well-being topics, and include these topics in existing employee engagement platforms and internal communication channels. Maintaining consistency in the communication plan can lead to greater participation and increased adoption of best practices.
The power of champions
For the employee mental well-being program to be effective on the ground, the organisation needs foot soldiers. It is beneficial to cultivate well-being champions among employees. These champions would be the go-to resources for employees needing help with their emotional well-being. Trained to listen non-judgementally to the needs of their co-workers and to alleviate their apprehensions about seeking help, these champions can connect them to appropriate clinical resources.
The well-being champions can also be trained to identify early signs of stress and other common symptoms that, if ignored, could lead to mental health issues. Through various interventions and activities, these well-being champions will also be able to educate their co-workers and de-stigmatise the workplace environment.
Manager preparedness
Managers are key to executing a mental well-being program. They are the first to learn about issues of emotional vulnerability among their team members or the presence of a stigmatised work environment. Their actions or inactions in such scenarios will determine how the team member reacts to their experiences of mental health issues. Skilling managers in empathetic listening, handling issues, removing stigma, identifying early signs of emotional distress, normalising conversations, and introducing well-being activities as routine team exercises will go a long way in creating the right environment.
Managers must also be empowered to make reasonable accommodations for team members who experience emotional distress and mental health issues. Leaders should extend their support so that managers are encouraged to be empathetic to the needs of such co-workers in the team.
Regular assessment helps build an agile program
From communication campaigns to training sessions, events to roadshows, and EAP helplines to self-assessments, the employee mental well-being program in an organisation will grow into one with multiple components running simultaneously. It is important to regularly assess the effectiveness of each of these components and make necessary adjustments. By analysing data on tool usage and platform engagements, conducting regular surveys, and holding discussions with employees, the program can build insights on trends, patterns, and needs. Based on this rich data, the program can introduce newer initiatives and topics.
As employee mental well-being becomes strategic to businesses, well-being programs are evolving in maturity. Organisations taking their first steps to establish an employee mental well-being program can consider adopting some of these best practices.