How have you managed employees dealing with depression, anxiety or other mental health illnesses during the pandemic?

Encouraging employees to be vulnerable and simply asking "how are you doing?" seems small but is actually wildly effective. Giving them the space to be open about their struggle and also ensuring them that seeking help is not only okay but strongly encouraged will help employees dealing with negative mental health symptoms greatly. Additionally, by pointing them to resources and letting them know that their employee truly "has their back" with wellness being a top priority, employees will be better equipped for positive change.

Anxiety can lead Employees to withdraw from communication and collaboration with their team, and the workplace loses its ability to function successfully. I would suggest that leaders encourage their employees to use short mindful exercises at work. This practice can help them start their day with the right mental attitude. You can inspire mindfulness practice at work by enforcing mandatory regular staff breaks and introducing a quiet space. Employees are more engaged in their work and show greater satisfaction when they feel that their mental health needs are also being cared for. In my mindfulness practice, I can manage stress and anxiety, control my attention and make better decisions in the workplace. Being mindful helps me listen more carefully to others' perspectives, especially when they conflict with my own. I can make decisions based on rational thought rather than emotional reactions.

Employers need to have a policy, communicate the policy to employees, and stick to their policy when situations arise. The policy should clearly communicate that taking time off to address depression, anxiety, or other mental health illnesses is okay, and to define the necessary steps to take to get the time off. Leaders need to show that they're supportive of the policy through communication so employees feel confident in taking time off. And then, when employees do follow the policy, employers need to stick to what they've said both on and off the record. There's a lot more questions than answers when it comes to mental illnesses during the pandemic, but creating a clearly defined policy helps provide clarity for both employees and employers.

A powerful way to support employee well-being is to offer a non-restricted annual stipend that supports total wellness. Often employees select the types of wellness benefits they believe employees desire. A stipend approach allows employees to use funds in a way that is unique to their particular situation and also explore various outlets until they find something that works for who they are and where they are. Organizations might pulse survey the various ways employees leverage the stipend annually as a learning opportunity that wellness looks different for each person and choice becomes a powerful tool in helping people experience of sense of belonging and healing.

Amidst record pandemic rates of mental illness, the best way to support the mental health of employees is to create a culture where they can thrive. In clinical practice, we address chronic illnesses by avoiding agents that worsen conditions and increasing exposure to the healing properties of food, botanicals and mindfulness practices. This framework can be applied in organizations by removing the stigma around discussing mental illness at work and avoiding excessive workloads. Next, promote empathy and open communication. Then provide mental wellness training, comprehensive wellness programs and health benefits to create a healing environment. It is also vital to understand the unique needs of each employee. Implementing initiatives based on data from anonymous, 3rd-party wellness surveys ensures that employees feel seen, heard and valued.

During the pandemic, I\'ve navigated my own anxiety and PTSD; held space for my teammates as they\'ve grappled with mental illness; and coached executives and line managers on how to support their teams with mental health in general and mental illnesses, specifically. Compassion was the most universally useful skill in each of those situations. To practice compassion in a conversation: slow down; ask open-ended questions; listen deeply to understand, and witness their struggles without judgment. It might not feel like enough. But I assure you, it\'s often the most powerful gift you can give as a leader.

In the current times, it's becoming a must for companies to provide employees with mental health support. We included anonymous mental health assistance in our benefits during the pandemic and it proved to be the right decision. We offered our employees free access to a platform with certified psychologists and psychotherapists, and everyone could sign up and have a suitable therapist assigned to them. It proved to be a very popular benefit - the anonymity reduces the stigma, and the employees are more likely to sign up.

Option two: To help empower an employee that is struggling with mental health illnesses or challenges, try this: employee’s that struggle with depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges need to receive reminders on a regular basis to fulfill most daily tasks, personally as well as professionally. By talking slower and calmly to the employee as well as giving gentle reminders, preferably written down in bullet point form then you are setting that person(s) up for success. When they feel successful and able to do well in their job, they are more productive and happier.

Ending the stigma around mental health is ongoing, though the pandemic brought it front and center which allowed for deeper conversations. An important “soft skill” in leadership is to practice open communication and share vulnerably as this will set the tone to your team. Acknowledge that you have all been through a very tough time, that your employees are not alone, and share the action you are taking to prioritize and support their well-being in the workplace. It starts by creating psychological safety, trust, and sustainability as leaders and employers. Check in & communicate with your employees and offer mental health education, various resources, individual support, or a well-being program regardless of whether they are a leader vs just starting their career. Remember everyone is unique and has different needs.

Empathy is essential for leading all individuals, particularly those suffering from stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. A study by Qualtrics found 67% of people are experiencing increased stress while 57% have increased anxiety, 54% are emotionally exhausted, and 53% of people are sad. Empathy, on the other hand, may be a powerful antidote and contribute to positive experiences the midst of difficult situations. Catalyst found in their study of 889 employees, that empathy has a wide range of beneficial effects and when leaders were perceived as more empathetic, people reported greater levels of mental health. Leaders can show they care and are attentive without being experts in mental health. Check in, ask questions beyond "how are you?". Listen to what an employee wants to share and offer support. As Maya Angelou once said - At the end of the day people won\'t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.

To account for the added level of support that employees needed during the pandemic, most organizations took to revising their Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to follow suit. This included telehealth services, access to mental health professionals as well as workshops centered around dealing with burnout and mental fatigue. By making simple tweaks to our current processes, employees were better equipped to deal with the grueling mental effects that the pandemic left in its wake.

Our company was started a few months into 2020 so our employees were dealing with the stresses of the pandemic from the beginning. We let employees know that we understood that many of their lives were changing on a daily basis. We encouraged them to reach out to us if they had mental health concerns that they needed to take time for. Dealing with mental health concerns was done on a case by case basis. There really isn't any one size fits all response when it comes to mental health. We’re lucky that the business came into existence during the pandemic because our company effectively was developed with mental health consideration at its foundation.

We've taken people who are used to being around others in an office, seeing their smiles, shaking hands with clients, and putting them at home, forced to learn Zoom conferencing, masked and avoiding all physical contact. The number one thing an employer can do, I think, is to simply ask how they are doing. Then listen. Being allowed to talk about their frustrations and loneliness helps many. Another option for employers is to get employees together for lunch or dinner. That is possible now that the pandemic is effectively over. People need to see each other. There is no virtual substitute for that. Something we've done is offered low-cost counseling through phone and virtual programs that are abundant now. All employees are given the option with no judgment so those with anxiety or other mental health issues can utilize services without needing to make an appointment or fill out a lot of paperwork.

We increased communication and flexibility on work expectations to account for possible mental health concerns. Especially during the onset of the pandemic, life was uncertain, and many of us knew of someone close to us who experienced complications of COVID-19. It was vital to us that our team knew that they weren't navigating the uncertainty alone. We all, including leadership, needed to share more and prioritize health over results.

We handle personal injury cases, so we regularly defend clients who have endured physical, mental and emotional trauma. Our attorneys often feel emotional pain as a result of the cases they work – and they often uncover gory details during the discovery phase of a case. We have become adept at recognizing the signs of an employee who is suffering from depression or anguish and we provide counseling to them. The pandemic, and the heightened stress around it, has affected many in our workforce and we have started to take a more holistic approach to their overall wellness, whether it’s access to mobile therapy apps or in-house counseling.

Virtual team building is one technique we have used to help with employee mental health during the pandemic. Remote workers often report a sense of isolation that can exacerbate mental conditions. To stave off loneliness, we hold regular online team building socials and have casual Slack channels where employees can banter, share fun things, get to know each other better, and feel connected. Team building events are optional, and span a range of interests like book clubs, trivia, and coloring. These efforts mean that employees have a wider network of teammates who can support them and check-in, rather than virtual managers being solely responsible for teammate happiness.

It was more important than ever to regularly check in with employees during and after the pandemic which is why we built a check-in culture. Our employees worked from home and it was tougher to spot indications of distress. Even at a C-suite level, we often asked our employees how they were doing and managed to arrange self-help training sessions. These training sessions aided employees in adjusting to the changes that came with COVID. Our employees then indicated that their mental health challenges were better and they felt valued.

It is going to sound like an oversimplification, but I am just nice to them. I let them know they're a valued part of the company, that they can take a day or two off if they need, and they can be honest about the things they're experiencing. In my experience, employees value this kindness very highly and it makes them feel supported, even if it's not the same kind of support a friend is able to give. They will do their best to take care of themselves and in turn be more productive.

Open communication and collaboration are the keys to lowering stress-related issues in the office, but many employees report that working remotely leaves them feeling lonely and stressed out. It's essential to give your remote employees access to as much workplace collaboration technology as possible. The goal is to try and keep your virtual team members connected when they don't have that valuable face-to-face time they experience in the office. Bringing your team together in creative and surprising ways will boost your employee satisfaction and help you stay connected to your team. It's helpful to start each day with a video conference meeting. Once expectations are set, you can then set a regular time and day where workers from different departments can connect and share information. Another pro tip: Let them know that your virtual door is always open, and you want them to feel free to be honest about whatever struggles they may be having.

Almost every company dealt with struggling employees and mental health. It is normal to go through this since the entire world changed in an instant. Using mental health and wellness practices/benefits was the best way to get through the pandemic for employees and teams.