5 Pivotal Steps Essential To Create A Mentally Well Workplace

Remote workers report that they have saved time and money from no commuting and being more productive at home instead of toiling in a busy, stressful office. So naturally, they are resistant to returning to the office after making a three-year adjustment. In a recent article in The Washington Post a reader asked “Dear Amy” what she should do now that her company is cracking down, urging employees back to the office after three years of adjusting to working from home. Citing a recent Forbes.com article I wrote, Dear Amy advised the disgruntled worker that the marketplace is on her side and that it might be time to hop back into the job market.

The tug of war between employers and employees along with growing mistrust is creating a mentally unwell workplace. Deloitte research indicates 77% of employees have reported burnout at their current job, and a massive 91% report that feelings of stress and frustration have a negative impact on the quality of their work. How can companies make sure they meet their match? With return to office policies in place among many large scale companies, building a mentally well workplace is a priority. I asked several experts about steps companies can take to build a mentally well workplace and a list of five points emerged.

#1 Additional Benefits

Dr. Nina Vasan, chief medical officer at Real told me mental health benefits and treatment options are key. “Providing insurance coverage and EAPs is a start but limits care and treatment to a moment of crisis,” she states. “In order to truly build a more mentally well workplace we need benefits that support people engaging in proactive, ongoing mental health care.” James Neave, head of data science at Adzuna agrees. “Awareness around mental health in the workplace has skyrocketed due to the pandemic and remote work, causing 81% of individuals to look for workplaces that support their mental well-being,” he says, adding that the benefits that dominate employees’ wish lists are fertility benefits; free or affordable therapy or counseling; volunteer days; and free or subsidized gym memberships. “Fertility, talk therapy and gym benefits in particular create peace of mind and alleviate workers’ mental-health struggles. An increase in the perks that meet employees’ expectations, provide care for them as a full person and reduce their burnout is guaranteed to uplift engagement, morale and optimism in the workforce.”

#2 Loyalty, Focus and Comradery

I spoke with motivational speaker, Les Brown, who acknowledges that we’re in new territory, seeing levels of mental illness like we’ve never seen before. “We’re in an environment now where even managers and supervisors don’t feel safe. We have cameras everywhere, and leaders are trained to find out what went wrong as opposed to reward good behavior above and beyond what is expected,” he notes. “There are thousands of employees who learn they have lost their jobs through a text message.”

Brown told me he’s an advocate of a workplace designed to create loyalty, focus and comradery—where people have each other’s back, are working together and turning to each other instead of on each other—especially in a time where people have to do more, faster and in an environment where people are frightened and afraid that their job might be eliminated next because of ChatGPT. But Brown has his own version of what the GPT stands for. “The G stands for having a growth mindset, the P stands for passion and finding something you’re good at and that you love. And the T stands for tenacity—willingness to go all out and do your best at all times in all circumstances because these are challenging times,” he points out with a smile.

#3 Recognized, Valued And Cared About

Vasan believes kindness goes a long way in creating a healthy work culture. “Finding ways to recognize fellow coworkers and do things that can help brighten their day,” she advises. This type of recognition was the basis for The Les Brown Greatness Program for the Workplace, designed to help employees feel that they are appreciated and valued. Employees who feel aligned with company values are more likely to stay, and 56% refuse to consider employers who don't align with their values. “This is a time people want to be recognized and valued and to know you care about them,” Brown explains. “When employees know you care about them, they provide service that goes beyond what they’re being compensated for.” He says when employers see their workers as internal customers, it determines how they treat their external customers and brings out the best in the employee and the team.

#4 Emotional Support To Mitigate Burnout

Vasan emphasizes the importance of talking about mental health struggles before burnout runs rampant in your organization. “I believe the more integrated into company culture it is to talk about mental health and well-being the better,” she says. “If your leadership can model vulnerability and share their own struggles it goes a long way. Similarly, if your HR team can host ‘lunch and learns’ or start an employee resource group for mental health that goes a long way in impacting the culture of your workplace.” Instead of waiting until a moment of crisis, Vasan points out the importance of checking in with coworkers. “Partner with your HR team to do employee engagement and wellness surveys to keep a pulse on the mental wellness of your organization.” If you notice someone struggling or if you are starting to struggle yourself, she suggests creating a safe space to engage in a discussion and model your own vulnerability and share what you might be experiencing before asking a colleague to open up about theirs.

Brown agrees with Vasan that leaders must be proactive in asking employees what help they can provide to make their jobs easier and not wait until people get burned out. “We need to monitor employees and create an environment where people have each other’s back,” he insists. “We need to create a working environment where people are watching each other and when someone is having a bad day and being short with a customer on the phone, we step in and say, ‘Listen, I can help you do this. No problem. Let’s take a break.’ We got to create an environment of cooperation of working together, looking out for each other. But also an environment where people can say, ‘Hey, I’m going through some stuff now.’ Not because you’re weak, but because you want to remain strong. Ask for help and don’t stop until you get it.”

#5 Prioritizing Mental Wellness For Remote Workers

Vasan mentions the importance of prioritizing mental wellness at home or in the office, saying one of the key ways employees can do that is to set boundaries. “This includes the hours you work and the workload you do (or don’t) take on,” she adds. “If you work from home, take steps to set boundaries between your work life and home life so you aren’t working 24/7.” Brown observes, “Now that they’re home, 34% of remote workers don’t want to come back and want to do something else with their lives. There are people who don’t want to face the stress of spending two hours in traffic and the cost of parking and other challenges that go with the cost of driving long distances.” Brown believes it’s important to help workers focus and concentrate as they work from home and take their productivity to another level without the dog barking or children making sounds in the background. “They need assistance on how to integrate their home space and the work they were doing with the team when they were working in the office,” he concludes.