A Path to Productivity and Happiness: Why Mental Well-being Matters in the Workplace

There’s no denying that the stress of isolation from the pandemic and the dramatic change in work demands have affected the mental well-being of modern-day workers. No matter which industry you work for, be it in healthcare, event management, or temporary staffing, mental health issues due to experiencing stress and pressure from work can be common. Unfortunately, many workplaces remain to be hesitant to talk about mental well-being openly. 

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Let’s be honest, not all people feel comfortable discussing their personal life, including their mental health. This makes addressing mental health issues complex and difficult. Even so, this is not enough reason to ignore employees’ mental well-being and neglect risks that may affect mental health. At the end of the day, the mental well-being of the workforce plays a significant role in the overall productivity and success of the business. 

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If your company is currently taking its first step toward improving the mental well-being of its employees, this post is for you. In this blog post, we discuss everything you need to learn about mental health, from its importance in the workplace to how to improve the workforce’s mental health. 

What Is Mental Health?

As per the World Health Organization (WHO) definition, mental health is the condition of the mental well-being of a person. It significantly affects a person’s ability to cope with the pressures of life, discover their abilities, and build relationships. Ultimately it is crucial to personal, community, and socio-economic development. 

Why Mental Well-Being Matters in the Workplace 

Did you know that about 12 billion working days are lost annually to depression and anxiety? According to the WHO, this loss in productivity accounts for about $1 trillion per year worldwide. Apart from the loss in productivity, mental well-being also plays a role in fostering healthy relationships that extend outside the office doors. To further explain the role of mental well-being at work, we discuss four reasons why mental wellness matters in the workplace below.

1. Mental Well-Being Affects the Performance of Workers

Workers who have positive mental well-being are more flexible in adapting to changes and can handle stress effectively. A study conducted at Oxford University also noted that happier workers are 13% more productive. 

2. Mental Well-Being Promotes Effective Communication and Collaboration

When employees feel supported and psychologically safe, they are more bound to share ideas with their colleagues. Similarly, they become more comfortable asking for help and working with various coworkers to solve problems, innovate existing products, and more.

3. Mental Well-Being Plays a Role in Employee Retention

A company that nurtures the mental well-being of employees and provides a supportive environment has become more attractive to workers today. In fact, according to the Future of Mental Health report based on a Forrester survey, 79% of employees are likely to stay employed at a company that has high-quality mental health resources. 

4. Mental Well-Being Is an Ethical Responsibility of the Employers 

Employers have an ethical responsibility to ensure the health of employees both physically and mentally. They have a so-called ‘duty of care,’ which means that it’s their obligation to prioritize the mental health, safety, and overall well-being of employees. 

Risks to Mental Well-Being in the Workplace

Before we get into how to improve the mental well-being of the workforce, let’s first address the common risks to mental health in the workplace. Below we list these risks one by one and cite studies and reports that support their perceived adverse effects on mental health. 

1. Heavy Workload

An APA 2021 study shows that 50% of employees find heavy workloads as a key stressor in their workplace. Meanwhile, 54% of the respondents in the same study pointed to long work hours as a cause of their stress. 

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Heavy workloads and long work hours do not just affect employees’ physical state but also their mental well-being. Those with excessive workloads often experience heightened stress levels which often cause their poor job performance. Additionally, they are more prone to experience imbalance in their professional and personal lives affecting their relationships with their loved ones.

2. Discrimination 

In a large, peer-reviewed study of African-American workers in the National Library of Medicine, researchers uncovered a cross-sectional association of discrimination with depressive symptoms. When employees experience depressive symptoms due to discrimination in the workplace, they are very likely to display decreased productivity, loss of motivation, and absenteeism. 

3. Job Insecurity

Job insecurity is the term used to refer to the state of uncertainty about continued work. According to a study, those with job insecurity were almost 3 times more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and stress. 

4. Unsafe Physical Working Conditions 

In a 2022 National Safety Council (NSC) survey, respondents who felt unsafe at work were closely three times more prone to experiencing depressive symptoms compared to those employees who felt safe at work. In addition, respondents who felt unsafe at work were more than twice as likely to report anxiety symptoms.

5. Persistently Low Pay

A report on mental health and well-being revealed that workers receiving persistently lower pay are more likely to feel low satisfaction and happiness compared to those with temporary loss of pay to no loss of pay at all. 

How to Improve the Mental Well-Being of Employees

Now that you have enough idea of the risks to mental health in the workplace, it is time to take the first steps toward addressing them and improving the mental well-being of your employees. Read on as we share with you five things you can do to boost the mental well-being of your workforce. 

1. Recognize the Risks to Mental Health in the Workplace

Protecting and promoting mental health at work starts with recognizing the mental health conditions of employees, especially those in administrative or supervision posts. A lot a time to discuss the mental condition of your staff and ask for their feedback on the things that are causing their stress. 

2. Embrace Policy Changes That Prioritizes Mental Health

After recognizing the main stressors in the workplace, it will help to design new policies or change existing policies in order to target mental health issues directly. Some examples of these policies businesses can embrace to improve the workforce's mental well-being are the following: 

1. Increasing employee income and benefits 
2. Providing access to education and training 
3. Considering flexible working arrangements 
4. Adding mental health coverage in the employee health care plan 
5. Maintaining open communication to reduce stigma on mental health 

3. Provide Mental Health Programs or Training

Mental health programs and training help educate and train employees on how to properly cope with stress and other possible causes of mental health issues. Additionally, they may help strengthen the relationships between coworkers. 

4. Support Workers with Mental Health Conditions

As per the United Nations Human Rights, every person with a mental illness is given the right to live and work, as far as possible, in the community. Hence, companies must help and support workers with mental health to fulfill their roles. 

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To help workers with mental issues, it is advisable to provide them with support in adapting to the work environment, like giving them flexible working hours or modifying assignments to reduce stress. Allowing them to have time off for medical appointments can also help to make sure that they are well and capable of working. 

5. Show Care and Empathy for Workers

Showing care and empathy for workers offers more relief than you think. When you listen to your employees and show concern for their issues in the workplace, they feel more secure in sharing and expressing their thoughts and problems. Believe it or not, just by being able to share problems, an individual can release pent-up feelings that may cause stress, anxiety, and other depressive symptoms.

Boost Your Workforce Mental Health with Efficient Work Processes

As we have discussed above, heavy workloads and long work hours are two of the leading causes of mental health problems in workplaces around the world. Thankfully, StaffConnect helps streamline work processes and automate manual tasks for a more efficient workflow that helps save time and energy. 

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StaffConnect is a business management platform that is equipped with all the tools essential for onboarding staff, managing employees and schedules, and collecting data. Our new webhooks integration feature even lets you sync data between various apps to shorten work hours, so your staff can allocate more time and energy to activities that improve their mental health. 

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Want to learn more about the difference StaffConnect can make for your business? Schedule your free demo today, and we’ll be glad to assist you all the way.