Mental health in the workplace

We are living through tough times, and it's not surprising that we are seeing more mental health challenges in the workplace. As we approach October 10 and look to mark World Mental Health Day, we consider the mental health challenges that entrepreneurs, business owners and their employees face and seek to embed new practices that will address the issue head on, creating a nurturing and productive workplace for everyone.

What is World Mental Health Day?

Celebrated every year on October 10, World Mental Health Day is a day when everyone can reflect on mental health issues, discuss problems they are facing, and look for strategies to improve their mental and emotional wellbeing.

The official theme for this year is "Mental Health in the Workplace".

What is the most common mental health ailment in the workplace?

The most pressing mental health issue facing the modern workplace is burnout. Too many businesses are under-resourced, under-financed and under significant strain to achieve targets. Workers are required to go above and beyond their stated objectives, leading to stress, exhaustion and burnout.

Burnout doesn't only impact individuals; it has severe ramifications for the entire organization. When a business is already at the breaking point, it only takes one small failure to tip it over the edge. For many organizations, overworking a stressed workforce will increase employee absence and decrease morale. Over time, this results in an unproductive, unmotivated workforce that has no desire to contribute to the organization's success and no loyalty.

What can be done to address burnout?

Businesses should consider whether their workforce is experiencing burnout. Common indicators are that employees are working too many hours, there is a spike in staff absences, workers are leaving faster than they can be replaced, productivity is decreasing, and milestones are being missed.

Addressing the cause of staff burnout should be the organization's primary objective. Review aims and objectives, and look to realign expectations with reality. If a milestone or objective cannot be achieved with the people available, reschedule it or resource it.

Begin holding open, honest conversations. Find out to what extent your workforce is suffering from stress and anxiety and do whatever you can to resolve this for them. This may mean reducing workloads, improving working conditions, being flexible about meeting objectives, and providing those employees with the tools and support they need to increase their resilience to external factors.

Create a wellbeing plan for the organization that explains what good mental health is and provides employees with indicators to help them to assess their current mental health status. Provide signposting to support and advice, and allow employees to raise their concerns in a safe environment.

It can be helpful to enlist professional support when discussing mental health with the workforce. All too often, these uncomfortable conversations aren't held because managers don't understand how to initiate or steer them to a successful resolution. Search for the hashtag #WorldMentalHealthDay to find out more.