Transparency is extremely important to us, so we are letting you know that we may receive a commission on some of links you click on from this page. See our disclaimer.

---

Mental health needs to be discussed in the workplace, but we understand that this is not yet a popular opinion. You might be thinking, Sure, mental health is important, but do we really need to focus on that in the workplace? Why? 

Or maybe you recognize the importance of focusing on mental health in the workplace, but you are not sure how to persuade your colleagues or supervisor to make mental wellness a priority. 

Although leaders of organizations want the best for employees, they have the difficult responsibility of making decisions that positively impact the company ’s bottom line while carefully choosing which efforts to focus on. 

Obstacles to mental health initiatives in the workplace

When it comes to focusing on mental health in the workplace, your leadership may need to be convinced to take action before they get on board. 

In the 2021 Workplace Resilience Survey, the top reasons given for not having a mental health strategy in place were poor buy-in from senior leadership and lack of budget. Thankfully, there is overwhelming evidence to support my belief that mental health should be a core focus of every workplace. 

According to the same survey, 93 percent of employers acknowledged that employee well-being will be critical for attracting and retaining talent in the future. So while companies are failing to implement mental health strategies, almost everyone, including employers, understands the immense importance of supporting well-being to acquiring and retaining talented employees.

The ROI of mental health initiatives in the workplace

It’s proven that employees want to work in environments where they feel valued and truly believe that their mental wellness is taken into consideration. When employees feel valued, they are more likely to stay at that company and are more likely to perform at a higher level. 

For example, 69 percent of employees state that they would work harder if their efforts were better recognized. In an environment where their mental health is supported, it is easier for employees to deliver better results in their work. 

Simply put, companies with mentally healthy cultures are more productive and profitable. Let us say this again, companies with mentally healthy cultures are more PRODUCTIVE and PROFITABLE. 

In fact, one long-term study found that companies with a thriving culture—one that values appreciation and connection—grew 682 percent in revenue over an 11-year period, compared to 166 percent growth for companies without this culture. This is a difference of more than 500 percent. 

When accepting these facts, leadership teams stop looking at mental health as something they don’t want to budget for and begin looking at it as a worthwhile investment in the company. According to research, for every dollar your company invests toward mental health initiatives, it can expect a double, triple, or even quadruple return on the investment through savings associated with things like:

• Lost productivity
• Employee performance issues
• Recruitment and rehiring costs
• Higher healthcare costs 

But these are not good enough reasons to support employees in the workplace. Companies should not make mental health a priority simply because it’s profitable. 

The impact you have on your employees’ lives is of much greater importance than profits. The ripples your company sends out into the world start with the people who work for you. When you treat them as much more than a means to an end, it sets the foundation for your success both as a human and a businessperson. 

So what is mental health exactly? 

It’s a term that is often glossed over or shied away from. The World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community” (Promoting mental health: concepts, emerging evidence, practice (Summary Report)). 

Mental challenges can take many different forms and present in many different ways. It can be anything from low-level anxiety to untreated schizophrenia; from mild depression to having suicidal ideations. 

People experiencing mental health challenges can look like the most put-together overachiever or may be unable to get out of bed. People who are struggling work at every level of every kind of organization and are often not getting the help they need to thrive. By providing an environment that is welcoming, open, and helpful, you will benefit both your team members and your business.

Example of how to create a workplace culture valuing mental health and wellness

In 2020, a Fortune 500 company hired Mike Veny to deliver a How to Find Peace in Times of Uncertainty virtual presentation to their employees. 

Prior to the start of the presentation, a video was played that included several of the company ’s leaders talking about their own mental health struggles. Some discussed their insecurities, and one talked about the importance of taking their medication every day. Another talked about things that they feared and how this fear affected them on a daily basis. 

This video and the presentation were powerful and clearly had an impact on the employees. Several months after the event, Veny checked in with several of the employees individually. He was curious to see how things were going regarding mental health in their workplace. Everyone told him in their own words that the workplace culture had become significantly more accepting, accommodating, compassionate, and productive since they watched that video and the presentation.

This company was sincere in its commitment to a mentally healthy workplace, and mental wellness had become part of their company ’s culture. The company and its employees directly benefited as a result. 

Workplace mental health initiatives

Some examples of mental health initiatives you can implement in your workplace:

• Thanksgiving luncheon. This can allow people who might struggle with their family to feel a sense of family at the workplace or feel a company's attempt at fostering a sense of family—showing people that they care. Thanksgiving is also about gratitude, so it's an opportunity to show gratitude and feel grateful for everyone involved.
• Annual leadership summit. This can involve both team building and education. This helps bring people together and gives something back to employees. It shows them that their career advancement is important to you, not simply profiting from their labor. 
• Department recreation day. Empower each department or division to plan their own activity. This could be anything such as laser tag, bowling, a concert, hike, or rafting trip. This allows each division to develop its own identity and feel autonomous and work within the culture of that division. Including everyone in that division in the planning is very important. 
• Have a mental health professional on staff. Have your department leaders, managers, and supervisors meet with a psychologist on site regularly. This therapist can be available to everyone in the company. 

Right now, you have a wonderful opportunity to support the mental health of your employees and to benefit from that effort. You will not only be supporting employees to help them be more productive and assist the company in growing, you will also help make the world a better place. 

To learn more about how to have conversations about mental health without overstepping workplace boundaries and build a workplace culture that supports open and honest dialogue, register for the Connectivity & Conversations Online Course with Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist Mike Veny.