Businesses can save lives, money by creating workplaces to support employees’ mental health | Opinion
At its best, work lets us support ourselves, bring meaning to our lives, offer opportunities for growth and form friendships and a sense of community. At its worst, work can be overwhelming, create burn-out and trigger mental health issues. Those issues affect us as individuals as well as our friends, families and community.
According to the U.S. surgeon general, 84% of workers said their workplace conditions had contributed to at least one mental-health challenge.
This creates both a responsibility and a unique opportunity for corporate and nonprofit employers and leadership. Recent studies and surveys conclude that organizations that foster a culture of mental wellness and provide mental-health resources see greater employee retention and productivity. At the same time, they save substantial costs. Supporting mental wellness in the workplace is a prime example of doing good while doing well.
The U.S. surgeon general also said 81% of workers said they will be looking for workplaces that support mental health in the future. While employers have started to invest more in mental health, they have not kept up with employees’ needs and expectations. According to Qualtrics and National Safety Council, half of employees said they left a previous position because of mental-health issues, and 76% of the workforce said they experienced at least one symptom of mental unwellness in the past year. In addition, navigating the mental-health struggles of their children or spouses takes a huge toll on employee productivity.
An Organization Safety Council and University of Chicago analysis found that organizations that support employees’ mental health see a return of $4 for every $1 invested in mental-health resources because of reduced healthcare costs, fewer sick days, improved productivity and lower turnover. According to the October 2022 Harvard Business Review, respondents who felt supported by their employer tended to be less likely to experience mental-health challenges, less likely to underperform and miss work, had higher job satisfaction and intended to stay at their company.
Clearly, supporting mental and emotional wellness in the workplace has rewards. So, what should organizations do?
First, address stigma, and increase mental-health literacy. A negative perception of mental illness discourages people from seeking help, even when it is available. This is perhaps one reason why less than 7% of employees use the assistance programs offered by their employers. This reluctance can be devastating. Untreated depression increases the risk of suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 60% of people who die by suicide have a mood disorder. Suicide is now the second-leading cause of death of youth and young adults in the United States, and the incidence of suicide ideation and attempts has increased in the last decade.
Encouraging people to get help and treating mental-health issues as being just as important as other health challenges is a strategy that pays off. Employers must move from seeing mental health as an individual challenge to a critical workplace health factor that affects an organization’s healthcare costs, productivity and employee satisfaction and retention. It starts with education and awareness: essential in stopping stigma.
Organizations need to endorse a culture change and train leaders, managers and all employees on how to support and navigate mental health at work and at home, have open conversations and promote empathetic workplaces. Managers need training to better understand how to reduce stigma and create a healthy atmosphere.
As a leader in providing free mental-health resources, NAMI Miami-Dade responds to these organizational needs with crucial training and educational programs that address stigma and train people on mental-health literacy. Our programs are free, offered in English and Spanish, and are open to the community. Our programs include: “QPR: Question Persuade and Refer,” a 90-minute suicide intervention training; “Ending the Silence,” a one-hour prevention, early intervention and resource education program; peer support groups, family support groups and classes are for those with a mental-health challenge and their loved ones. The Walk for Mental Health Awareness, scheduled for May 20 at loanDepot Park, is a free event that will exhibit NAMI Miami-Dade’s programs as well as the mental-health resources in our community.
The old ways — silence, shame and concealment — no longer are acceptable. Focusing on supporting employees’ mental health at all levels will help organizations improve employee morale, organizational excellence, and financial return. With more than half of the 160 million people in the U.S. workforce declaring reporting symptoms of mental unwellness last year, it’s time for companies and their leaders to act.
Susan O’Mahoney Holtzman is president and CEO of NAMI Miami-Dade, the leading mental health advocacy, education and support organization in Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys.
