As we become increasingly aware of the impact our mental health has on our physical health, daily lives, work lives, and productivity, it\u2019s more important than ever for companies to look after their employees\u2019 mental health. But how can you do this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Regular one-to-ones give your employees time to voice any issues that may affect them in the workplace. This could be issues that have arisen at work, or personal problems that they may not want the rest of the team to know but that can cause issues, such as grief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many companies have policies about honesty and transparency, but not everyone follows them. Be sure to practise what you preach. If honesty is a company value, be honest with your employees. They\u2019ll return the favour and it will create an open, honest working environment where everyone feels more comfortable being themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Save your employees time on tedious tasks like booking their holiday<\/a> or scheduling meetings<\/a>. Invest in the right technology that automates tedious tasks so they have more time to work on what you hired them for and not on tasks that eat up their time and waste their skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think your employee might be disengaged? Talk to them during a one-to-one. Find out what\u2019s going on with them. It could be that they enjoy working for the company but aren\u2019t happy in the department they\u2019re in any more. Reskilling employees ensures that you don\u2019t lose the best employees to your competitors. You keep all their soft skills like communication, creativity, and problem solving. They, meanwhile, learn how to adapt their skills to a new department that they\u2019re happier and more productive in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flexible working options<\/a> are one of the top requests employees have of their employers. Allowing them to start or finish later so that they can pick up and drop off their children from school is a prime example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employees may need time for appointments with their GP, a counsellor, or another healthcare professional to better manage their mental health. Make sure you\u2019re open to this and don\u2019t ask for too many details. Not everyone is comfortable sharing this information. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, if you have an open and honest culture, they\u2019re much more likely to be open and honest with you about what their appointment is for. Allowing employees this time will benefit your business in the long run, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The more employees do to manage their mental health, the better armed they\u2019ll be for dealing with day-to-day stresses that could impact their mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Managing employees\u2019 mental health doesn\u2019t have to be scary or intimidating. So long as you\u2019re open and honest with your employees, they\u2019ll be open and honest with you, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The right technology can make a huge difference to an employees\u2019 mental health, so ensure that everyone has the tools for the job. This includes both hardware and software: if you allow your team to work remotely, for example, they should have a decent laptop and programs like Zoom <\/a>and Slack <\/a>to communicate with the rest of the team and ensure they don\u2019t feel isolated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n