Mental health is a very big topic right now, particularly given the turbulent few years we’ve had. Employees are struggling with their mental well-being, citing stress and anxiety as key problems at work. A lot of people feel overworked and underpaid, which causes key mental health issues. While you may not notice any problems on the outside, many of your workers could be suffering internally.
As a leader, it’s your duty to look after your employees and cherish them. So, here’s what you can do to boost their mental well-being at work:
Provide more flexible schedules
Open yourself up to the idea of allowing more flexible schedules at work. Instead of making everyone come in for the typical 9-5 shift, give them different options. Let people work from home if they want to – or come in for a few hours before doing the rest of their work at home.
Being flexible allows your employees to find a work pattern that suits them. This can go a massive way to reducing a lot of stress. In fact, some employees may be anxious or suffering BECAUSE they’re working from home. Letting them come in and socialize could be just what the doctor ordered.
Offer some training courses
Sometimes, employees can be in a bad mental state because they feel as though they’re stuck in a dead-end job. They don’t think they’re valued, and they see no progression. But, they’re also too worried to leave their job because they can’t afford to spend months looking for another one.
So, the onus is on you to make your employees feel valued and give them a bright future. This is easily achievable through workplace training. There are lots of courses you can run in the workplace, giving people a break from work while honing new skills. It boosts their confidence as they develop professionally, and it also makes them feel looked after. In turn, this does wonders for their mental well-being.
Let your staff have a voice
The third and final thing we’ll talk about is the idea of giving your employees a voice. Many workers feel as though they can’t speak out about anything at work. They’re super stressed, but they’re too worried about the repercussions if they tell someone they’re stressed. Or, they don’t agree with the way the business is running, believing that changes are needed to help the company and its employees.
Great leaders give their employees a voice at all times. Create a culture in your workplace where people can share opinions and voice any concerns. It’s your job to listen to them and take them on board. It creates a sense of togetherness at work that is really good for mental health. People have chances to get things off their chest, possibly even achieving solutions that help them out. It’s such a good way to boost employee morale as well as improve their well-being.
The overall theme of this post is that you should take mental health seriously at work. If your employees are mentally rundown, it’s not good for them, and it’s not good for business. Work on bringing them back up, creating a better environment for them, and your business will soon thrive.