Three Ways to Support Employee Mental Health

According to a survey conducted by Headspace Health, 97% of Australian CEOs think they do enough to support mental health in the workplace – but only 66% of employees feel that way. That’s a troublesome discrepancy, don’t you think?

The last two years have highlighted mental health as a significant workplace risk, and the importance of awareness, and taking steps to implement initiatives that helps to build trust and encourages openness so that workers aren’t afraid of judgement or potential discrimination.

What does your company have in place?

Here are a few key tips that you can implement today!

Have an open conversation during check-ins

One-on-one catch ups and development meetings are always great opportunities to check in on your staff and their mental health. Don’t be afraid to enquire how they’re doing in a broader sense, but also be prepared to listen and ensure they’re heard. It takes a lot for an employee to open up about such personal topics, so it’s imperative that you actively listen and respect that vulnerability.

After these conversations, make sure you follow up with them and let them know that you’re there for support. Mental health issues can come around at any time, so it’s best to check in regularly.

Promote healthy culture around taking leave

Even with so much information and publicity surrounding physical and mental health, it’s still quite common for some people to feel guilty when taking leave, particularly sick leave. This may be due to workload or not having colleagues to transition work to. Not taking regular leave to rest and recharge can lead to burnout.

Business leaders need to consider reframing the narrative surrounding leave, actively encouraging regular time off, and consider extending project or work timeframes whilst balancing the needs of the business to allow people to take regular.

Invest in mental health training

Taking the time to educate staff on the importance of employee mental health is a great way to improve awareness and understanding for everyone. Proper and thorough training around mental health in the workplace equips employees with the right tools and knowledge to promote a healthy culture when it comes to such an important topic.

With this greater understanding of mental health in the workplace, it fosters a safe and nurturing environment for all, as well as providing a safe place for employees to discuss any mental health concerns.

As a workforce compliance specialist, WorkPro stand shoulder to shoulder with our customers to ensure that they can deliver timely information and knowledge about important workplace risks to their teams. If you haven't already caught up on the latest Code of Practice around Psychosocial Risk then you can read all about it here.

We have been careful to include information relating to work related stress awareness in many of our pre-built library of nearly 60 proprietary learning modules. Eager to find out more about these eLearning modules? Register now for a free trial of our top three modules!

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