People Matter: How to Support Employees’ Mental Health at Work

If there’s a silver lining to this whole pandemic situation, it’s the normalisation of mental health challenges in the workplace. Suddenly, everyone is dealing with some discomfort – and talking about it. It makes “personal struggles” a universal experience. As a result, more companies recognise the need to prioritise their employees’ emotional wellness. It's been a long time coming, but finally, it's arrived.

This so-called mental health revolution is much needed, too, especially in Singapore, where the workforce suffers the worst mental health in Southeast Asia, according to a recent region-wide study. In the survey conducted among 3,000 employees across Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines, SG workers reported the lowest levels of engagement, job satisfaction, and overall quality of life, with only 57 per cent rating their mental health to be either good, very good, or excellent.

With employee performance directly affected by their level of happiness and engagement, employers now face the challenge of becoming better at managing and supporting their workforce’s mental health. Moreover, employees now seek – and demand – better overall wellness benefits from their companies.

Before the pandemic, most companies only monitored their workers’ well-being through annual physical exams, basing a person’s health on their weight, blood chemistry, eye grade, and other physical metrics. But workplace wellness is more than just that. 

Mental health at work refers to the employees’ psychological, emotional, and social well-being within the work environment. When an employee has sound mental health, they have a positive outlook toward work, can build healthy relationships with co-workers, and can readily cope with the daily demands of their job. 

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 health crisis brought about massive shifts in the workplace. Employees have had to adjust to new working setups, take pay cuts, and even lose their jobs. Remote working has blurred the lines between workers’ professional and personal lives, resulting in longer work hours and increased stress – that is, on top of dealing with feelings of isolation and invisibility. The uncertainties have also put extra pressure on employees, stirring up worries about job stability. 

Today’s workers are dealing with quite a lot and all at once, leading to a surge in depression, anxiety, and burnout. 

The problem is that these issues are not openly discussed in the workplace. A new Singapore study found that 54 per cent of employees are not satisfied with their current company’s initiatives relating to mental health, with many feeling like their managers or the human resources department do not understand their mental health struggles (46 per cent). Meanwhile, others (44%) feel outright neglected, believing management does not take their issues seriously. 

No longer a nice-to-have, mental health support has become a crucial business imperative. Take a quick look at the benefits of underscoring your workers’ overall wellness at work: 

• Better productivity. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression and anxiety cost the global economy about $1 trillion annually in lost productivity. By providing support and treatment for depression, companies can reduce absenteeism (regularly missing work) and presenteeism (showing up for work without being productive) by 40 per cent to 60 per cent. Moreover, research shows that nearly 86 per cent of employees treated for depression report improved work performance.

• Better retention. Are you surprised that mental health drives employee engagement and retention? A Gallup analysis found that employees disengaged with their work had an annualised turnover rate of 24 per cent, versus only 8 per cent for those who reported thriving and feeling engaged in the workplace. (Also read: The Great Reshuffle: Why It’s Happening And What You Need To Know)

• Decreased health care costs. Serious mental illness increases the rates of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in adults by about two-fold. So even if a company’s benefits don’t cover mental health treatments, the physiological repercussions can still take a toll on the health care budget.

Here are some steps you can take to build a healthier work environment for your employees: 

1. Understand how mental health impacts your workers. Managers and HR personnel must train to identify the signs of mental and emotional distress. Proper knowledge can help them react supportively and not punitively. It also enables the company to detect warning signs in individuals early on, allowing immediate intervention. Regular surveys that measure employees’ stress levels, satisfaction, and overall well-being can also be helpful.

2. Provide avenues for communication regarding mental health issues. Normalising conversations around mental health topics reduces the stigma associated with struggling with emotional wellness, making it easier for employees to seek support before they reach a crisis point. Hold seminars, share resources, promote wellness initiatives in your newsletters, and build an inclusive culture that promotes openness. 

3. Help employees reduce and manage stress. Aside from managing people’s workloads to avoid stress and burnout, bosses should also model healthy behaviour – highlighting self-care and boundaries—so that their team members know they can do the same. Avoid making calls or emails past work hours, take vacations now and then, and encourage being human, not a robot who’s expected to just work, work, work. 

4. Boost team morale with fun activities Extended periods of remote working can make workers feel disconnected or alone, whereas being stuck in the office day in and day out can be tiring and monotonous. Break the ice and boost team morale with activities not related to work: virtual quiz nights, bowling parties, biking trips, or Friday night socials. Encourage safe opportunities for employees to maintain fun social connections regularly. To combat anxiety, you can also provide wellness activities, like free yoga classes and meditation sessions. 

5. Include mental health coverage in the health care plan Mental health benefits remain the exception rather than the norm in Singapore, with only about 47% of employers providing mental health benefits as of 2021 (compared to over 80 per cent in the U.S.). In case the company’s resources cannot cover this completely, creating a co-funding scheme – where employees pay a small portion while the company covers the rest – is a cost-effective first step for both parties.

6. Create an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Many companies are now creating in-house programs to support workplace mental health. These can include everything from individual counselling to group therapy, as well as other services that reduce stress. While some workers may shy away from utilising this due to fear of stigma and shame, counteract this by regularly reminding them that the benefit is made and readily available for them – sort of like a complimentary gym plan. You can also emphasise that they can access the perk confidentially.

It’s one thing to say you support mental health, it’s another to be ready to tackle it head-on. So what should you do if a worker shows signs that he is mentally or emotionally unwell?

• Give them a chance to open up. Don’t underestimate the power of asking a simple “How are you?” At best, the employee may be encouraged to open up about his struggles, creating an opening for you to intervene. At worst, he’ll clam up or pretend to be okay. Either way, remind the employee that he can ask for help or support if needed, and that you are there to listen.

• Make adjustments. Be flexible in allowing adjustments in your employees’ job setup—like adjusting their schedule, allowing them to work remotely for a time, or giving time off for therapy—to help them deal with their situation. (Also read: Remote vs. Office vs. Hybrid: What Is the Best Work Arrangement?)

• Have a one-on-one talk. If you’re already noticing significant changes in behaviour or seeing negative effects on his work output, schedule a meeting to address the issue and figure out the best course of action. Recommend professional help and resources if needed. The key is to let him know that it’s okay not to be okay and that you—and the company—are there to help.

Employees shouldn’t have to choose between career advancement and their overall well-being. As workers #SeekBetter job opportunities and environments, make sure your company stands out as an organisation that genuinely supports mental health in the workplace. By doing so, you pave the way for a healthier, more productive society where not only businesses flourish but people and families can thrive, too. 

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