On a regular basis we conduct employee evaluations and when anyone on the team is not performing well we go back to them and see if the root cause is mental health and it sometimes is the case. Our company supports and subsidizes mental health check-ups and mental health breaks that our team needs in order to function for efficiently as individuals and support the company at the end of the day.
As a mental health practice, we incorporate this into our culture as well. Examples have been after challenging events whether they be the loss of an employee who passed away to election stress, we create an environment that is supportive and that fosters expression. We don’t just skip over these events. We also have consultation groups to discuss clinical work as well as personal concerns. We are supportive of people using their benefits to seek mental health resources as well.
We support mental health by setting intentions before having conversations. Everyone writes down a goal and a few talking points, and this prevents meetings from devolving into unproductive events. In addition, we listen, and encourage people to elaborate on what they have to say. Especially with personal anecdotes. The phrases “Say more” and “How did that feel?” go a long way with people, and it helps us learn their experiences and the most effective ways to communicate with them. It seems to me that mental health deteriorates when people are not heard, so that is where we focus.
We believe in the power of preventive mental health measures and peer support. We've introduced wellness programs that include activities designed to prevent burnout, such as yoga classes, team-building retreats, and a policy that encourages taking regular breaks throughout the workday. We also facilitate peer support groups where employees can share experiences and coping strategies in a safe and confidential environment. These groups are guided by trained facilitators, offering a platform for connection and mutual support. Through these initiatives, we aim to foster a workplace that not only responds to mental health issues but actively works to prevent them, ensuring our employees feel supported in every aspect of their well-being.
At our organization, we prioritize employee mental health through various means. Firstly, we offer regular workshops and seminars on stress management, mindfulness, and self-care techniques, providing employees with practical tools to enhance their well-being. Additionally, we have established an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that offers confidential counseling services to employees facing personal or work-related challenges, ensuring they have access to professional support when needed. These initiatives underscore our commitment to fostering a supportive and mentally healthy work environment.
Going all out to create a fun and safe environment at work is one of the ways for an organization to support an employee's mental health. As a Chief Clinical Officer of a mental health facility, I believe that our organizational culture is positive and fun for all our staff. Having stress at work increases the vulnerability of the employees, leading to burnout and low productivity. Our mental health facility works with patients dealing with substance use disorders, and we try our level best to ensure our staff are not stressed out. I believe that creating a positive work culture is necessary for supporting employees through their mental health challenges. For example, we have a meditation room and always pay for gym membership for our staff. These wellness initiatives have been effective in creating a positive culture for our staff.
Our organization uses a checklist of signs to keep an eye out for among our employees. If we see someone exhibiting behaviors close, to or even just related to our list, we bring them in and ask what we can do to help support their mental health. We also use staff groups, essentially group therapy, for bi-weekly check-ins where staff can interact with, and get support from their colleagues, and offer their support too. Some of these groups are staff-run as well, since despite being aware and accommodating to our staff members with regards to their mental health, it's still uncomfortable sometimes for staff to turn to a supervisor for support when they need it. Sometimes it's easier to connect with a peer or colleague. All in all, as an organization whose primary focus is mental health and well-being, our jobs are often stressful, and it's sometimes hard not to take on the stressors of our clients. It's essential for those working in mental health to have some built-in stop-gaps to allow for regular check-ins with our staff.
We have an outstanding Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with extensive in-person and virtual benefits for our team. Recognizing the importance and expense of mental health treatment, we also negotiated free mental health care in our 2024 Health insurance renewal. The plan covers in-patient and out-patient treatment at no cost to participants, meaning there are no co-pays for those who attend regular therapy sessions.
Principal Consultant, Vertical Lead – Learning and Strengths at NamanHR
Answered 2 years ago
Recognizing the profound impact of employee mental health on both individuals and organizational performance, we uphold our core value of Health and Safety First at NamanHR. This commitment extends to fostering a culture of psychological safety, ensuring that our employees feel secure and supported in expressing any concerns they may have at work. While initiatives like work-life balance and flexible schedules play a role, our emphasis on psychological safety goes deeper. It means creating an environment where transparency and open communication are encouraged, allowing employees to freely address their fears and uncertainties. By providing this secure environment, similar to the comfort of home, we ensure that mental health remains a priority even within the workplace, resulting in better engagement In doing so, we create a supportive ethos where our workforce feels valued & empowered to prioritize their well-being.
As a treatment center for those with substance use disorder, it’s important that our doctors remain in the best possible headspace so they can properly treat our patients. Quiet, zen spaces and covered mental health care are two ways we sponsor and encourage good mental health for our employees. Yes, we mean all employees. We recognize that those who aren’t physicians don’t have their own office or personal space to take a breather. Even witnessing treatment as intensive as substance use treatment can impact mental health. We have soundproof rooms spread throughout our clinics at all locations. They have wellness books, crossword and regular puzzles, a yoga mat and common relaxing poses, and a couch for sitting and breathing. There’s also calming music and a small rock garden waterfall, as well as calm lighting to help an employee relax. We also offer insurance plans with extensive mental health coverage. If you don’t take care of your own mental health, you will struggle to take care of someone else’s. We offer physicians and employees alike the same opportunities to meet with psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, group counseling, or whatever else they need to ensure that their own mental health needs are met.
Look, you can totally use all your budget on excellent mental health packages that you can offer to all of your employees. There are some awesome (expensive) packages out there. But, in a small company the best thing you can do is to cultivate a supportive work environment. Practically this starts with getting managers up to speed on your vision for mental health being prioritised. Run an "ask me anything". Then you can move onto in-house trainings around fostering open communication, actively sharing stories in the weekly all-hands (celebrations and learnings for the week are a good place to start) and reducing stigma around mental health issues, and promoting work-life balance (simple things like messaging each other when its past 6pm "Hey, remember, work-life balance, Ben!" (PS it should be life-work balance, right?) One of the easiest ways to support employees with their mental health is to revamp your 1:1s across the company. If a manager is ALWAYS asking "How your mental health these past two weeks?" eventually, each employee will feel like it is prioritized, and they will eventually feel comfortable talking about it. A great first step.
In our field of work, individuals have to deal with lots of responsibilities and strict deadlines, besides the complex workload. Plus, we deal with confidential information for our clients and plan acceptable financial plans for them, among other tasks. All of that can add immense pressure daily. Thus, at our business, we try to promote a healthy balance between expectations versus the available workload. Everyone involved deals with realistic deadlines and targets for their tasks. Not to mention, we can access various resources that can help with our work at any time. Having this balance provides the necessary boost to our work productivity without compromising on mental health.
At ICAgile, we practice a "one-team" mentality that balances involvement, workloads, and support among team members. For instance, in some organizations, taking a vacation means that missed work piles up, which can cause added stress upon an employee's return. However, by taking a one-team approach to time off, colleagues are motivated to cover teammates' responsibilities while they are away. In doing so, employees feel empowered to avail themselves of our flexible time off policy without repercussions and return feeling refreshed and energized for the next challenge ahead. This balanced, collaborative approach also helps us avoid “single points of failure,” which can also put undue pressure on impacted employees.
Employee mental health is a big priority for us at Airswift. Since we’re a workforce management and recruitment firm, it’s doubly important that we maintain a strong culture, high retention, and high engagement—after all, if we’re not able to do that for ourselves, our clients won’t trust us to deliver solutions for their teams. We have a lot of workplace policies aimed at supporting employee mental health, but I’ll highlight one in particular that is a more recent addition to our policy and I’ve seen have a positive impact, which is offering employees “mental health days” that are separate from their PTO. Our policy at Airswift is that employees get three of these every quarter. They are paid days that don’t need to be scheduled in advance and don’t require a doctors’ notice or other supporting evidence. If an employee is feeling burned out, overworked, stressed, anxious, or just generally needs a mental break, they can use one of these days no questions asked. I will admit I was skeptical of this policy when we first implemented it, but I’ve since come around to the idea. Primarily, I’ve noticed a benefit I didn’t anticipate, which is that it has a positive impact on the overall morale of the team. Employees who are stressed or burned out are also not the best people to be around—they’re more likely to have a short fuse, or to mope around the office spreading negativity. By letting team members have a day to recuperate and recharge when they need it, I’ve found that everyone is in a better mood and ready to be productive and positive when they’re in the workplace.
At Tax Crisis Institute, a healthy mind is just as vital as a clear tax record. One key strategy we've implemented is regular 'wind-down' sessions, where team members can step away from their desks, unwind, and engage in activities that relax and rejuvenate them. These sessions range from meditation and yoga to casual coffee chats—no tax talk allowed! Another unique approach is our 'Open Door Policy'. It's not just a metaphor; my door is open. This encourages our team to discuss any challenges, work-related or not, freely. We've found that creating an environment where conversations about mental health are normalized significantly boosts our collective well-being and productivity.
As a mental health organization that is both trauma-informed and harm-reduction oriented, we are still working to find the right balance for our employees. This year we launched more comprehensive wrap-around support for both employees and their families providing 2 visits a month at no cost. The structure was critical to meet employees where they are and providing multiple levels of care (from coaching to therapy) with both in-person and telehealth services. From there, we have integrated the resources of our partner into leadership development (providing tools for things like check-ins and 1:1s) to how we approach overall wellbeing in a more personalized way.
One of the ways we support our employees' mental health is by offering them a flexible work schedule. This allows them to take time off when they need it, whether it be for a mental health day or to attend therapy appointments. We also encourage our employees to take breaks throughout the day, whether it be to go for a walk, do some yoga, or just take some time to relax. We also offer our employees access to a mental health resource, which provides them with information on mental health resources and services available to them.
We understand the challenges that can arise in a remote work environment, especially in a field like education where the demands can be high. One way we support our team members is by offering regular virtual wellness workshops led by qualified professionals. These sessions cover a range of topics from stress management techniques to mindfulness practices tailored to the unique needs of our educators. We provide access to confidential counseling services for those who may need more personalized support. We prioritize mental health initiatives and aim to create a supportive and inclusive work culture where every team member feels valued and empowered to thrive both personally and professionally.
We champion employee mental health with a policy of crystal-clear, open communication. We've created a space where every team member can voice their concerns, work-related or personal, in a judgment-free zone. This culture of candor is nurtured through consistent one-on-one conversations with empathetic supervisors and team leaders, equipped to offer the right support and resources. This preventive strategy has proven essential in preventing stress from developing into more serious problems. This policy has had disproportionately favorable knock-on effects. The well-being and job satisfaction of our employees have increased dramatically as a result of feeling more seen and heard. Fostering an environment where mental health isn't a taboo topic has also led to stronger team bonds and fewer stress-induced absences. This culture of openness doesn't just offer immediate relief from stress—it builds a foundation for enduring mental resilience, keeping our team strong and spirited.
We have developed an online portal that provides resources and information on mental health. This portal includes articles, videos, toolkits, and links to external mental health services and is accessible to all employees anytime. The portal also features anonymous self-assessment tools that help employees gauge their mental health status and decide when to seek help.