Maintaining the Mental Well-being of your Employees

The pandemic is emotionally challenging for many people and changing daily life in unprecedented ways. Find out the measures you can take as an employer to boost mental well-being at your workplace.

The challenges of the pandemic have taken a significant toll on the mental health of workers. It is important for employers to support and protect their employees by having measures in place to support employees’ mental well-being. Creating an inclusive and mental health-friendly workplace not only encourages employees to perform better at work but also boosts employee well-being. In this article, we will share what are some of the measures that employers can do to improve employees’ mental well-being.

Promote a work/life balance
Maintaining work-life balance help to reduce stress and prevent burnout in the workplace. By creating a work environment that prioritizes work-life balance, employers can maintain a healthier, more productive workforce. Some of work-life harmony practices include a work culture where managers and supervisors understand the need for their employees to have proper rest after office hours. Employers need to establish reasonable work expectations and should not be expecting their employees to respond to work-related communications after work hours. If employees are required to work after work, employers may consider giving time-off for employees to have adequate rest.

Implement Flexible Work Arrangement
To help employees meet both their work and personal demands, employers can consider implementing flexible work arrangement. Remote working has become a way of life for many as the world grapple to deal with the pandemic. For many, remote work is likely to become a fixture of our post-pandemic future. Other than remote work, employers can consider implementing other forms of flexible work arrangement, taking into consideration the varying needs of their employees at different life stages. These can include flexi-time such as staggered working hours and flexi-load, such as part-time work and job-sharing.

Open Channels of Communication
Employers can create a positive work culture and provide open channels of communication, so that employees are comfortable disclosing mental health conditions. Employers should also set aside time and resources for bonding activities (both face-to-face and virtual) to strengthen relationships amongst employees.

Establish Mental Well-Being Programmes
The employers can do its part by building awareness and encouraging dialogue about mental health conditions to dispel myths. They can organise regular talks on the importance of mental health and equip employees with the knowledge on mental health. They may  also conduct surveys to identify the mental health index of their employees.

Incorporate Flexible Employee Benefits
Amid rising awareness of mental health issues, more people are seeking out insurance plans that provide mental health coverage. The employers may also consider extending the corporate insurance coverage to include mental health conditions.As the global war for talents intensifies, there is an increasingly need for companies to adopt progressive HR practices to attract and retain staff. Creating an inclusive workplace can improve employees mental well-being and has a direct impact on the workplace. It is a win-win for both employers and employees.

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