Building a Culture of Mental Health

According to a 2022 Gallup Panel Survey, 47% of young workers aged 18-29 report that their job has negatively affected their mental health. In addition, 57% of employees are not aware of their employer’s mental health services or that, in addition to therapy and medical care, these services also typically include help with a range of issues that may be causing stress or anxiety. Building a positive mental health culture in the workplace takes a thoughtful, multi-pronged strategy. Here are some ways to begin this change process.

• Engage leaders: Educate leaders that workplace mental health isn’t an HR issue; it’s a business issue that affects an organization’s productivity and profitability. When unaddressed, employees' workplace or personal problems cost the company in a number of ways:
  • Employee engagement (low morale)
  • Retention and turnover
  • Cognitive and physical job performance
  • Safety problems
  • Absenteeism

• Conduct a mental health audit: A mental health audit can help you identify workplace issues that may be undermining employee mental and emotional wellbeing. These problems can include abusive behaviors, such as intimidation and bullying, high workloads and excessive hours, poor supervision, lack of appreciation/recognition and unsafe working environments.

• Provide training: Coach leaders on how to have open and honest mental health conversations and how to identify common mental health problems, such as stress, anxiety and burnout. They may also have employees who are dealing with difficult personal issues. With proper education and tools, managers and supervisors can create a safe, respectful and inclusive space for mental health discussions, offer timely support to those in need and direct individuals to appropriate resources for care.

• Raise awareness of mental health and resources for support: Launch an ongoing communications effort to educate employees about mental health issues and how to access internal and external programs and resources. Be sure to use a variety of vehicles and channels, to ensure you reach employees onsite and those working remotely, as well as their family members.

• Ask for feedback: Provide employees with feedback channels to share their thoughts on your company’s mental health programs and related communications. Their input will help you raise awareness, target messaging and ensure people access the right resources when needed.

Through focused, ongoing communications, you can begin to normalize discussions about mental health and create a healthier, more compassionate workplace where people know when and how to access resources for care and support.