Mental Health and Work: All You Need to Know About the Mental Health of Your Employees

Imagine picking up groceries, driving to work, and dropping off the children in a partially broken car. Sure, the exterior is shiny and the tires are new, but you know what’s happening on the inside- the car takes much longer to start, exhausts every two days, takes up far more petrol and costs an hour extra to complete the tasks.

However, after fixing the vehicle every time it shows an issue, and getting it regularly checked to rule out any possibility of an issue, the car works in a much more effective and efficient manner. Time is saved, the cost is reduced, and you spend less time worrying if the car will start or not early in the morning.

The employees at your corporate institution are like different models of cars. It doesn’t matter how promising they look on the outside, how well they’re on the inside is what counts. A happy employee with mental peace will perform diligently and showcase great results in less time. There will be higher job satisfaction, high employee morale, and engagement, and an increase in employee recruitment. Mental health matters for attracting and retaining staff. The care for your employees’ cognitive soundness and psychological well-being is an investment in the company that reaps massive rewards.

How does mental health impact the employee’s work?

As surveyed by the American Psychological Association, 70% of adults in the workforce are unmotivated and depressed. This roughly accounts for 35% of missed workdays, a 40% drop in employee productivity, and a whopping $105 billion decrease for employers in the industry.

An employee’s mental state impacts how he thinks, acts, and feels. It also helps determine how he handles stress, makes decisions, reacts to pressure, communicates with other employees, and performs the assigned tasks.

How can you address the mental health of your employees?

Creating a culture of health is the most vital thing you can do for your company. Giving the support that the employees need can help them thrive and excel. Here are some tips to get started:

·         Promote work and personal life balance

Don’t make your employee check-in before work time and don’t make him stay during the late hours of the night. As argued by certified organizational psychologists, this hurts your company in the long run. This way, employees are more likely to burn out. The occasional workload is fine, but regular stress is demotivating. Make them leave on time and make the most of their breaks. Like they say, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

·         Offer access to wellness programs

Impacted employees should have a ‘way out’. To incline them to reach for help when necessary, offer discounts on therapy sessions, gym plans, and healthier food options. Offer free screening tools such as Hakeem’s Mental Health Quiz that allows the employee to know if they require professional help or not. According to Healthline, work stations that offer wellness programs for their employees have a much higher employee retention rate as compared to firms that don’t.

·         Discuss mental health in the workplace

Discussing mental health should not be taboo. People often consider individuals who don’t have any cognitive issues to be ‘strong’. However, that is false. Everyone deals with emotions such as anxiety, sadness, and depression once in a while and people who’re open about it, are the ones who are strong. There’s no shame in admitting that you need a day off, a week to recover or professional help.

·         Support the employees in times of distress

As inc.com states, “Talking about stress management, self-care, and mental health in meetings and email communications can reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. When employees trust you won't call them "crazy" for having a panic attack or fire them when they're struggling with depression, they'll be more willing to seek treatment. And fortunately, most mental health conditions are very treatable.” Let employees take care of their minds like they take care of physical wounds on their bodies.

How can Meddy help your employees?

Meddy offers exclusive promo codes for workplaces to give to their employees. These codes have discounted prices for both in-clinic and virtual consultations with the country’s top psychologists and psychiatrists.

In these trying times, the employee’s mental well-being matters the most. Through Meddy’s telehealth services, the employee can avail discounted virtual appointments with certified mental health experts from the comfort of their homes.

The program allows the employee to seek therapy, voice concerns, and get guidance from health professionals. This keeps them mentally intact, and results in better performance. For more details fill this form and our team will get back to you:

At Meddy, we believe that a healthy mind equals a happy employee!