1) Increases productivity, staff engagement and retention;

2) Helps employees to stay healthy and recover their ill-health at work;

3) Leads employees to report less time off work due to feeling mentally unwell;

4) Returns up to $4 for every $1 invested in mental health in the workplace.

The financial service industry and the building and construction industry are known to have above-average mental illness cases in the workforce. For employers that value employees’ productivity, their mental health matters. Increased workloads, rising overtime and mentally burdened employees and conflicts are highly likely to have a lower level of commitment to their jobs – a situation known as employee presenteeism. In the worst-case scenarios, your employees could actually fail to show up to work to deal with their mental burdens. This is especially common for businesses that don’t have a culture that supports the mental health of their employees.

The good thing with creating a positive and safe workplace where employees’ mental health can thrive is that it can be beneficial for employers and organisations. These include:

5) improved health and wellbeing;

6) greater productivity;

7) higher performance;

8) increased job satisfaction;

9) good reputation within the industry;

10) ability to attract and retain top talent;

11) greater work participation and increased social inclusion;

12) increased individual, team and organisational resilience;

13) lower absenteeism rates;

14) less workplace injury and workers’ compensation claims;

15) faster return to work;

16) lower workers’ compensation premiums.

You can enjoy having engaged employees, improve employee retention rates, and attain business goals with ease. The question is – how do you design your work environment to be supportive of your employees’ mental health?

In the quest to remove the stigma around mental health in the workplace, progressive organisations have been conducting research on mental health. Here are some key statistics that shine some light on the need for developing a mentally healthy workplace:

• 20% of people experience mental health issues in any one year; 

• 50% of employees are reluctant to tell their managers about their mental health issues out of fear of losing their jobs;

• A lack of anyone bringing up this as an issue for them is not a signal that there are no problems. It is more likely a signal that employees do not feel comfortable or free to raise concerns or express their needs;

• Early intervention is a major factor in preventing the problem getting worse.

The cost of initiating mental health programs within your organisation shouldn’t be a problem. In fact, it promises a great return on investment. Companies can enjoy an additional 10 hours of productivity from employees with mild mental health conditions. While the investment will offer your business 7 extra days of productivity from employees with moderate mental health conditions, you stand to enjoy an extra 17 productive working days from employees suffering from severe mental health conditions.

Employees should feel there is no barrier between them and their direct managers or colleagues. Normalise having employees reach out to their managers with their mental health struggles if they choose to as well as other issues affecting their working conditions.

Be sure to walk the talk. Develop an open-door policy and train, support and review your management team to be committed to the safety and mental well-being of their employees. The training should also show employees how to relate to those struggling with mental health conditions. Ensure that you also encourage employees to share among themselves keeping in mind that discussions about employment conditions are confidential.

While you want to have productive employees, you shouldn’t push their limits to the point where their work feels like a burden. Sure, the most productive employees can manage to handle huge workloads, but over-exerting them in work can lead to burnout. Everyone needs time to recharge and attend to their self care and personal lives.

Avoid sending employees work-related emails and texts when they are off-duty. Instead, you should encourage them to take rests, go on vacation, and spend time with their families. Although it might seem trivial, having a bit of rest from work can help employees deal with their mental health burden – which makes them focus more once they get back to work.

Start investing in a workforce mental health program by launching mental health training sessions, whether your own program or by an external provider. Most employees might not understand that they are dealing with a mental condition or might be in denial. Informing them and developing awareness will help them deal with their situations better.

The training should also show employees how to relate to those struggling with mental health conditions. The training program can include information on where to seek help, apps to use to improve mental health, and best practices for dealing with different conditions, contact details for a few mental healthcare experts to whom your employees can vent their frustrations. 

Going out of your way to show your employees that you care for their mental health could result in them reciprocating the gesture by being more engaged at work.

Everyone suffers highs and lows, and ideally, you don’t want your employees to have to deal with their struggles while isolated. Creating a workplace environment in which employees feel safe and appreciated will help alleviate their mental burdens. Besides, you stand to gain a lot from having a mentally healthy workforce.

• Sullen, erratic or otherwise low moods;

• Low or dropping productivity when previously it was stable, despite doing similar tasks as before;

• Dramatic change in appearance;

• Slow, flat or low volume when speaking;

• Low interest and morale;

• Isolates self from others;

• Absenteeism or tardiness

Feel free to contact Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14 if you are looking for mental health or suicide prevention information and support.

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