Workplace mental health issues are staggering this year and costs have surged. Employers should not be ignoring mental health in the workplace for several reasons, the main one being prevention of lawsuits, but more reasons include:
- Workplace safety for those who have disorders
- Company name will be flawed if mental health issues goes untreated
- Larger employee turnovers
- More absences means compromised productivity
Employers need to create a more positive approach for dealing with mental health issues in the workplace:
- Offer counseling
- Fitness programs
- Helpline
But there are some modern techniques that have been recently added for helping with mental health issues in the workplace recently:
- Education on mental health issues
- Have individual cases and not a one-size-fits-all solution
- Include policies on mental health issues in the employee handbook
Employees are individuals and should be treated that way. A perfect employee can suddenly change and it is the employers’ job to be prepared. Having the ability, knowledge, and training to accept and help mental health issues in the workplace is crucial to having an effective management strategy. Mental health issues in the workplace should not be seen as an inconvenience, but as a challenge to help employees become successful.
What strategies does your workplace take when it comes to mental health issues?