Mental health is a hot issue, and an important one at that. It affects a lot of people in the workplace. The impact of mental health problems in workplaces can be enormous. According to the World Health Organization, there is a rise of mental health issues for about 13% and is increasing in epidemiology worldwide.
If you are an employer, it is best to recognize the employees who are struggling with mental health issues and would need support in order to successfully return to work. It is essential that you build a safe and supportive workplace for them. In this post, we will understand how important it is to provide resources, support, and allow them to reintegrate into the workplace after taking some time off to preserve their mental health.
How do we provide support for our employees?
Create a favorable working condition
In order for successful return of workers to work after taking care of their mental health problems, you need to create a favorable and supportive environment. You need to foster a work culture that values and gives importance to mental health and well-being. It means you need to be open and transparent about any challenges, as well as encourage your employees to seek help when necessary.
Ensure a flexible work arrangement
Flexible working arrangements may be key to helping workers return to work after facing their mental health problems. This may include part-time work, flexible working hours, or remote work. Providing these options for your employees make it easier for them to get back to work easily and be able to manage their workload in ways that work for them.
Provide mental health support service
Support services may also be helpful for your staff to cope up with mental health issues. Counselling services or sessions and ability to access mental health professionals are just some of the ways you can provide mental health support. These resources can help your employees return to work successfully after being away for some time.
Train your managers and supervisors
Part of the work environment is the presence of trained managers or supervisors in terms of mental health support. This may include trainings that allow them to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health issues and communication strategies so that employees can open up safely the challenges they’re facing.
Plan their return
It is important that you have a standard operating procedure for returning employees after their time off from work in order to fix their issues or just to reset their minds. The plan should include describing the facilities, place support systems, and expectations. There should be a timetable in place so that employees can go for follow-up visits to the health professionals they are seeing.
The bottom line of all this is that employees will be able to return to work without glitch if you are a supportive employer, especially when the employees are facing mental health issues. A friendly work culture and environment allow employees to feel safe within the workplace. The world is already a toxic place to live. Please make a difference and protect the mental well-being of your employees and provide them the support they deserve so that they can be best at what they do. Remember, a safe work environment allows people to showcase their skills and will allow them to thrive at work – making your company more productive in the process.
Psst, Jaq is Talking 