A note from Leanne: Some recent statistics were shared with me by our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider, and they struck a chord. I spent nine years working in HR for a community mental health center and I saw firsthand the power of focusing on your mental health (and caring for others around you experiencing mental health concerns). Many of our clients were working individuals whose employers saw the benefits of improved mental health.
A pair of recent studies conducted by Mercer and the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) confirmed something we all know intuitively but still served as eye-opening – employee mental health is as important as ever.
· 52% of employees surveyed said they suffered burnout in the last year (NAMI)
· 67% said they consider depression and anxiety a concern at work (Mercer)
· 68% identified job-related stress as a concern(Mercer)
· Four in five people surveyed said mental health training would be a positive for workplace culture, but only half said their employers offer it. (NAMI)
· 42% said they cannot afford mental health care.(NAMI)
· 27% didn't know where to get help. (NAMI)
Employers tend to think of the direct, commonly known impacts poor mental health can have on the workplace such as attendance issues as well as presenteeism and productivity. Of course, those are the obvious impacts but an employer who can demonstrate caring about their employees’ health can see returns in retention, and let’s face it – it’s just the right thing to do. Caring about your employees doesn’t stop with how it positively impacts your workplace but should extend to their quality of life and what is best for them.
Hopefully, your core values reflect a desire to support your employees and you must make sure you live that. One of our core values is “Commit and Care,” which has so much meaning including a commitment to our team and caring about their whole well-being.
In CEO Charles Oswald’s recent article on navigating the2024 labor challenges, the strategies he outlined correlate very nicely with how we, as employers, can be a part of the solution for some of these mental health issues including flexible scheduling, adaptability, culture and engagement, skills development, and most importantly for this topic, employee well-being.
Going further, consider sponsoring feel-good initiatives that your employees can participate in. We have a paid Volunteer Program and many of our hotels facilitate charitable giving back. Programs like these can help employees feel a positive sense of personal satisfaction about their contributions to the communities they serve.
Partner with your medical carrier and EAP provider to ensure that your employees are aware of the benefits offered. Many insurance carriers offer free or reduced-fee mental health services. If you don’t have an EAP, give some thought to getting one. 51% of employees surveyed say they would use a free, confidential, independent mental health support resource if it was a benefit offered by their employer (NAMI). We offer the services of ESI EAP free to our employees and their eligible family members. This provides access to 24/7/365 in-the-moment confidential counseling and support – no need for approval from the company or a manager. In addition, our EAP offers a vast array of tools online that include things like financial counseling, wellness planning, legal assistance, plus many more resources designed to help in almost all aspects of life.
83% of employees agree mental health and well-being training is, or would be, important in creating a positive workplace culture. Most also say various types of mental health training would be helpful for mental health support at work (NAMI).
Our EAP assists us in providing training on a huge plethora of topics including mental health wellness. During the month of May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, live web sessions are offered on topics like Mindfulness, Learning to Relax, Self-Care to Relieve Stress, and Self-Care to Relieve Burnout.
We will also be asking our managers to complete training on workplace mental health to assist with supporting their team members.
One in five US adults experience mental illness (NAMI). Let’s partner with our employees on their mental health journey!
To see more revealing statistics from this January 2024 NAMI Workplace Mental Health Poll, visit:
https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Publications-Reports/Survey-Reports/The-2024-NAMI-Workplace-Mental-Health-Poll
