3 Ways to Support Employee Mental Health

From October 1st – October 5th, everyone at Inclusivv was off the clock. Our CEO and Founder, Jenn Graham, took action in prioritizing employee mental health by announcing a company-wide Fall Break.

A recent survey conducted by Indeed found that out of 1,500 US workers, 52% are experiencing burnout in 2021. Not only does this negatively impact job performance and productivity, engagement, communication, and daily functioning, but it is detrimental to employee mental health. So how can you mold your company culture to help employees navigate these challenges and advocate for employee mental health? Here are a few ideas.

1. Over-communicate

A Harvard Business Review report found that employees who felt as though their managers weren’t great communicators were 23% more likely to experience mental health challenges. As a manager, try to be as transparent as possible. This means keeping your team aware of organizational changes, clarifying expectations and removing stress by communicating priorities. 

2. Give Your Company Paid Time Off & Encourage Them To Use It

The benefits of PTO far outweigh the costs. Providing paid leave not only boosts employee mental health, but builds positive attitudes towards work and increases productivity and retention. However, despite the benefits to taking time off, 55% of American workers don’t use their vacation time. As a manager, try to encourage your employees to take their PTO and prioritize their mental health.

3. Model Self Care

Having open and honest conversations about employee mental health is still stigmatized. One way to reduce this is through vocal leadership. No one is immune to burnout. As a leader, don’t underestimate the power of vocalizing your own challenges with mental health. It’s crucial to model self-care and set boundaries, while creating an environment where your employees feel safe to do the same.

At the end of the day, it’s your responsibility as a leader to create a mentally safe workplace culture. All employees–as well as your company–benefit when there are systems in place to encourage and support employee mental health.