Mental Health in the Workplace

Written by Dr. Amanda Helman

The workplace is a place that should be inviting, safe, and welcoming for employees across countries in Africa. Safety is defined as emotional, physical, and psychological safety. Emotional safety is a person feeling comfortable to express their needs, wants, and feelings without withholding information due to feeling shamed, guilty, or inferior. Physical safety is aligned to emotional safety in that the employee feels comfortable in the workplace without bullying, threats, or feeling overworked or overlooked. Psychological safety is a person feeling valued, accepted, and welcomed in the work environment. All aspects of safety are critical not only to employees but to the pulse of the company or work environment. In essence, employers must cultivate a safe workplace environment for everyone. Mental health and wellness involves all aspects of emotional, physical, and psychological safety. Safety is a critical foundation to support an employer's mental health.

Mental health concerns are not only a concern across the continent of Africa but worldwide. In a 2020 Covid response survey to get information about Africa’s current mental health awareness in the workplace, employers shared that 46% of employers or staff do not know how to recognize signs of anxiety and depression and how to refer to resources. In addition, 15% of employers are only considering taking action to begin obtaining resources to support employees. The statistics indicate a need to support mental health concerns in the workplace. According to this 2020 COVID-19 benefits survey, over 56% of employees felt lonely, disconnected, or felt withdrawn.

The statistics are concerning and indicate a need for healthy action steps to support change in how employers focus on mental health concerns in the workplace. 

Below are practical steps to support areas of mental health in the workplace.

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#1: Healthy Communication

Employers can help cultivate a healthy and supportive work environment by taking the time to check in with each employee throughout the week. Depending on the workplace, if small or big, the office may have different supervisors or support staff that work with employees in various roles. The supervisors or support staff can send an email to check in with their staff, or individually, to express their gratitude for them as an employee or to provide a word of encouragement about the employee's work ethic. An email that takes a few minutes to write and send it is meaningful.

#2: Creating A Communication Strategy

Employers can send a non-identification survey to employers checking in to see how safe they feel in the work environment, how often they feel supported or validated, and how they are feeling in their personal well being (mental health and wellness). These communication surveys can be conducted monthly or quarterly for employers to get a gauge on staff health. Based on these surveys, managers have important feedback to plan intentional mental health and wellness training for employees.

#3: Gather Information to Conduct Mental Health Trainings

Mental health training for signs of anxiety or depression, amongst staff burnout, can be implemented at different times of day. For example, employers can do a mental health focus that is 10 minutes to a training of 30 minutes or more, depending on the workplace and current policies. For example, are there times scheduled for training? What does that currently look like? Or, is a 10 minute meeting in the morning that  employees can learn about a helpful stretch or breathing exercise to help support anxiety reduction? It will be important for employers to meet and discuss this as a core team and also get feedback from employees about what works best considering the workplace. For example, a hospital workplace meeting will look greatly different from an educational setting and meeting.

#3: Create A Welcoming Breakroom

Break Rooms in the workplace are an important component of employees’ days. They may access the break rooms for breaks, during lunch, and for additional needs such as putting their lunch in the fridge or to heat up their lunch. The break room can be revamped by simply having some different types of low-level lamps that may create a calming ambiance. Secondly, the room can have some comfortable seats or chairs for employees to relax.

Additionally, the breakroom may contain some food for purchase or a basket of healthy foods that are brought in as a simple surprise to employees once a week or more. Additionally, the break room should be a place where everyone feels welcome to join conversations with one another or to feel accepted. It is important to check in with employees, or even join them for lunch, to establish healthy relationships and to build a community where everyone has genuine concern for each other. In the breakroom or in other places, it is important to have numbers for employees to contact in regards to their mental health. Examples of mental health numbers may include a suicide hotline, mental health hotline for anxiety and depression, or support groups for adults who are struggling with mental health concerns. Some mental health hotlines are available both online and in person to support adults. 

Mental health supports will vary in simplicity to complexity. It is important to take simple steps of action that will lead to a healthier work environment for all employees as well as employers. When the employers also model the importance of mental wellbeing and health in the workplace, it will greatly impact everyone for the better. 

Source: Willis Towers Watson’s s 2019/2020 Global Benefit Attitudes Survey