
The World Health Organization (WHO) observes World Mental Health Day every year on October 10th. This year’s theme is “mental health in the workplace.”
A recent Forbes article explains why mental health in the workplace is important and gives employers tips on how to promote it in the workplace. Our personal injury lawyers share these tips with you below:
1. Create a healthy environment
Expecting too much from employees or making them feel like they aren’t good enough are just two of the many ways employers could be causing unneeded stress.
About one third of the average adult’s time is spent at work, so in theory, they should be doing something that makes them happy. Some days are likely to be more stressful than others, but a job shouldn’t send people running for the nearest exit.
Employers should evaluate the type of environment they promote and adjust it accordingly if they realize that they could be doing more to promote good health—both physical and mental—in their workers.
2. Help workers identify mental health risks
Some employees don’t realize they’re experiencing a mental health issue, and instead blame their symptoms on increased stress due to impending deadlines or upcoming presentations.
Employers should help their workers identify risk factors that are signs of poor mental health. One way to do this is to provide free, private screenings to assess mental health. A great tool for assessing emotional health can be found, here.
3. Help workers address mental health issues
Making sure employees feel supported is the first step to addressing their mental health issues. An employer would never ignore an employee who was suffering from a visible ailment, like a stroke, so those suffering from an unseen issue should be given the same compassion.
Employers should promote a safe environment and encourage employees to speak up about their issues. Excusing an employee’s mental issues and letting them suffer in silence would likely make them feel alienated and could make their illness worse.
Creating policies that support emotional wellness are a great way to ensure employees don’t feel like their health issues are invalid or unimportant.
Our workplace injury lawyers help employees suffering many types of harm on-the-job. We represent clients nationwide in workers’ compensation claims, whistleblower lawsuits, toxic exposure lawsuits, and wage, hour, and overtime pay claims. To find out more about our experience helping workers, call us today for a free case review.
Call or text 800-934-6555 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form