Mental health as a shared responsibility in the workplace
Keywords: mentalhealth, leadership, effectiveness, accountability
Date: 6 November 2024, WorkLife Digital
Mental health is increasingly acknowledged as essential for organisational sustainability and success. Beyond affecting individual wellbeing, mental health influences productivity, engagement, absenteeism, and employee turnover, all of which directly impact businesses financially. A collaborative approach where both employers and employees share responsibility for mental health fosters a culture of resilience and sustainable wellbeing, benefiting individuals and organisations alike.
The role of businesses: Tailoring strategies to needs
Employers play a pivotal role in establishing a supportive mental health culture. According to a 2024 Deloitte report, mental health issues cost UK employers approximately £51 billion annually, with presenteeism and loss of productivity being significant drivers. To address these challenges effectively, businesses need to move beyond generic wellness initiatives and invest in targeted, data-driven mental health strategies that respond to specific employee needs. These tailored approaches can address underlying stressors such as management styles, communication, unclear job expectations or overwhelming workloads, which often lead to burnout.
Research from Gallup underscores the critical role of management behaviour and workplace culture in employee burnout: ineffective management and lack of support are primary contributors. Tailored strategies to alleviate these issues could include improved communication channels, clear expectations, and workload management training. When businesses align mental health initiatives with the actual needs and challenges of their workforce, they establish a more authentic and supportive environment that fosters both engagement and productivity.
Measuring and adapting mental health initiatives
Effective mental health strategies require continuous measurement and refinement. Simple engagement surveys and check-ins can offer initial insights, but more advanced tools, such as WorkLife Quotient (WL-Q), can provide comprehensive assessments of both individual and organisational mental health and engagement. McKinsey’s 2023 report emphasizes that data-driven approaches allow companies to identify specific areas in need of improvement, creating a responsive environment where employees feel genuinely supported. This data-driven focus helps target support to specific teams or departments facing unique challenges, making mental health efforts more impactful and sustainable.
Individual accountability: Proactive self-management
For a truly supportive workplace culture, employees must also take personal responsibility for their mental health. Individual well-being is shaped by various factors, including lifestyle choices, stress management skills, and resilience. Employees are encouraged to actively engage with resources provided by employers, such as mentoring, counselling and wellness programs, and also to adopt personal practices like regular exercise, mindfulness, and social engagement. These habits have been shown to reduce stress and enhance job satisfaction, contributing to a healthier and more positive workplace atmosphere.
Research from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) highlights that employees who engage in personal mental health practices experience reduced stress and improved well-being. Moreover, tools like WL-Q can guide employees by identifying individual risk areas and offering personalised recommendations, empowering them to make specific changes that support their mental health.
Building a framework of balanced accountability
Creating a balanced framework for mental health accountability requires both employer initiatives and employee engagement. Businesses must embed mental health into daily operations, from establishing transparent workload policies to training managers to recognise and manage stress and mental health issues.
The 2022 joint study by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) underscores the benefits of proactive mental health practices in the workplace, including mindfulness, stress management, and physical activity. Workplaces that foster these practices tend to see higher engagement, greater resilience, and reduced stress. WHO’s guidelines also emphasise the financial advantages of addressing workplace mental health, as companies that proactively support employee well-being benefit from decreased absenteeism, increased productivity, and lower turnover rates. By embedding these practices into the company culture, businesses create an environment where employees feel valued and supported.
Measuring sustainable mental health outcomes
To ensure that mental health initiatives have a lasting impact, companies should monitor both organisational and individual outcomes. Engagement scores, turnover rates, and absenteeism data can provide valuable insights into how well mental health initiatives are working. Regular assessments, along with anonymous feedback channels, allow companies to continuously adapt and improve their mental health strategies in response to changing employee needs.
Employees, too, can benefit from tracking their progress. Setting personal mental health goals—such as committing to regular exercise or mindfulness practices—helps employees maintain a sense of agency over their well-being. Mental health apps like Headspace or Calm, as well as tools like WL-Q, offer accessible means for employees to assess their well-being and make adjustments as needed.
A synergistic approach to workplace mental health
The success of mental health initiatives in the workplace relies on a collaborative approach where both employers and employees share responsibility. Companies must provide supportive environments and address factors within the workplace that impact mental health, while employees are encouraged to take proactive steps in managing their own well-being. This balanced accountability approach leads to a healthier, more resilient workforce, where mental health is seen as a continuous and shared effort, rather than a one-time initiative. By working together, businesses and employees can create a workplace that supports both professional growth and psychological health, leading to improved productivity, engagement, and overall job satisfaction.
This approach not only benefits individuals but also strengthens the organisation, making it more resilient, sustainable, and prepared to thrive in a competitive business environment. Through shared responsibility and accountability, mental health can become an integral part of workplace culture, benefiting everyone involved.
WorkLife Digital is a global mental-wellbeing consultancy driven by the mission to improve the sustainability of businesses. Our psychological wellbeing tool, Worklife Quotient (WL-Q), is modelled on cutting-edge scientific research and provides organisation-wide measurement and intelligence on the mental wellbeing levels and psychological resilience of staff. WL-Q also assesses the impact of organisational practices (i.e. people and culture, leadership styles, organisational purpose and values, social impact) that have a direct influence on staff wellbeing and provides strategic recommendations on addressing risks and promoting strengths.
For more information, get in touch at lisa@worklife.digital
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REFERENCES
https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/moving-the-needle-on-burnout
https://www.nami.org/support-education/publications-reports/survey-reports/the-2024-nami-workplace-mental-health-poll/