How Well is Your Workplace?

Our physical health is often something taken for granted - until we lose it. But what about mental health? It is just starting to be addressed in the workplace through increased awareness and programs. And yet, Mental health is felt to affect up to one in four people each year.

This increased awareness is starting to break down some of stigma tied mental health. However, individuals still feel they are a failure and are concerned about the discrimination and social exclusion that might come if discovered. This often creates a reluctance to admit mental health challenges or prevents someone from seeking help.

The sad part is that most employees with mental health challenges do not take time off work (80% by some studies). Which affects the productivity of the organization. I believe that this is the cause behind what has been reflected in the Gallup studies for some time where workplace engagement is so low.

There is a convincing case for employers to tackle mental wellbeing in the workplace. Analysis of workplace mental wellbeing programs shows that the business case is overwhelmingly positive, demonstrating average returns of $5 for every $1 invested. It is estimated that the total cost of poor mental health to employers in the US was $280 billion in 2020. This includes costs related to absence from the workplace, turnover and productivity losses related to working while sick.

Workplace Wellness has been exacerbated and accelerated by the last two plus years with the pandemic, inflation, high prices, and working pattern shifts, etc. This disruption of the workplace has many causes some obvious ones are:

1.     Distractions: Deluge of information, political strife

2.     New working patterns: Hybrid, In Office, Remote

3.     Coping: Inability to Disconnect, Presenteeism, Disengagement

4.     Job Market: Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting,

5.     Finances: Furloughed, Inflation, Rising Prices

6.     Stress: Lack of Connecting, Control, Certainty, Progress

7.     Workload: Due to Layoffs, Hiring Freezes, Employee Turnover

8.     Decrease in team interaction, conformity, trust

9.     Difficulties with collaboration and communications

10.  Staying motivated

How can we begin to change the situation in the workplace? Contact me for the Six areas needed in any Workplace Wellness program.