Work is a primary source of stress for many people. This stress stems from strict deadlines, high expectations, too much work, and other factors. Often, workers do not feel as though they can focus on self-care or take other steps to address these various stressors. The business, however, can create an environment that prioritizes the mental health of its employees in several ways.
1- Offer Personal Days Off
By offering sick and vacation days, your business is limiting employees’ ability to simply take a day off and recharge as needed. Employees may want to save up their sick and vacation days for when they actually need those days. In other cases, employees may feel guilty or fear losing their jobs if they take personal days off. By offering personal days off, you are telling your employees that it is okay to care for themselves. More than that, you are actively supporting them in doing so.
2- Encourage Regular Breaks
Breaks throughout the day can reduce stress levels and give employees the chance to decompress. As a matter of company policy, add permitted break times into your team’s workday. This is in addition to the permitted lunch break. More than that, encourage your employees to use the breaks to stretch their legs or simply enjoy fresh air and sunshine. This encouragement generally comes from the employees’ direct managers, who may be trained to identify signs of fatigue and stress.
3- Provide More Vacation and Sick Time
In addition to offering personal care days and regular breaks, consider adding a few extra days for sick and vacation time throughout the year. These extra days enable employees to reconnect with family and friends, cross items off their bucket lists, and more. They also allow sick employees to stay home as needed without being financially impacted by time off work. These extra days off tell employees that the company cares about them living healthy, well-rounded lives and finding a good work-life balance.
4- Create Open Lines of Communication
In some cases, managers pile on tasks without realizing that their employees are overworked. As long as the work is done, managers may assume that the load is manageable. However, the level of work may result in considerable stress and the thought that working long hours is mandatory. Employees should feel free to communicate their thoughts about workloads and other factors that may be causing stress without concern about negative outcomes.
5- Improve Management Strategies
Employees’ managers are often a source of stress because of their management strategies. They may have such strict policies in place that employees feel overworked and beaten down. They may not provide positive feedback and create a good workplace environment. When these things happen, coming to work every day becomes a burden for workers. They can feel disgruntled and unhappy on a constant basis, which detracts from mental wellness.
Mental health plays a major role in workplace productivity as well as job satisfaction and employee retention. Finding opportunities to support the mental health of your team benefits both your workers and the company overall. Identify opportunities to incorporate these ideas into your workplace today.