Mental health is essential for your employees. Here are the best ways to make sure you’re addressing it with them.
Discuss Mental Health in the Workplace
Openly discuss and bring up issues related to workplace mental health such as stress, depression and anxiety and make it clear that everyone struggles to stay mentally healthy sometimes. Educate your managers in spotting the signs of mental health problems and encourage them to talk to their team. Sometimes a caring conversation can be encouraging for the employee to get help.
Raise Awareness of Mental Health Issues
There are national awareness campaigns that your company could use to promote awareness of mental health issues and hold seminars or talks about mental health during these times. Mental Health Awareness Week is in May and World Mental Health Day is in October. During these times you could invite a speaker in to talk about mental health and encourage sharing of stories from people within your business.
Good Insurance Plans
Learn about the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. It requires insurance coverage for mental health conditions (including substance use disorders) to be no more restrictive than insurance coverage for other medical conditions. Avoid plans that offer “phantom” mental health coverage. And find out how many psychologists and psychiatrists are in-network. Provide a health savings account (HSA) to help offset out-of-pocket costs.
Keep an Eye Out for Depression
According to the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, 70% of people with depression are in the workforce — and not all of them are aware of their condition. Nevertheless, only 15% of employers train managers on how to recognize depression and intervene to help with employee care. Considering that treating depression can save companies $2,000 annually per employee (through improved health and productivity), learning to take care of your employees is well worth it — not just from a cost perspective, but to help employees stay healthy and happy.
Reduce the Stigma
For a long time, talking about mental health was a taboo subject, and it still can be for some people. Talk about stress management, self-care and mental health in emails, meetings etc. If your employees trust that you won’t think they are “crazy” then they are more likely to speak up and receive treatment.
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