Mental Health Week is May 4-10, 2015, and many take this opportunity to discuss how to best support those who are living with mental illness, or to work to reduce the stigma around mental illness. Mental health in the workplace is another important theme that’s popping up more and more these days.
Canadian statistics show that at least 20 percent of the population will experience mental illness at some point in our lives. But what about those other four people in that statistic? Are they mentally healthy?
One concern is that by limiting the conversation to mental illness, we may not be opening ourselves up to the ways in which we can and should be promoting mental well-being throughout our lives and, yes, our workplaces.
While it is vital to provide a workplace free of discrimination and harassment, and to ensure accommodations are made for mental illness where they may be needed, it’s also important to consider how we can all work to create workplaces that promote mental well-being. This requires a switch from a reactive position to a proactive one.
Creating a workplace culture that supports mental well-being may sound like a vague or challenging goal. But there are a few easy ways that employers can stack the deck in favour of good mental health. Here are just a few examples of how Intelex and other companies are supporting mental health in the workplace:
- Setting realistic expectations for work performance and promoting open, honest and respectful communication between coworkers to help decrease workplace anxiety.
- Implementing professional development plans for all employees to set the stage for continuous learning, which can increase worker engagement.
- Ensuring that employees don’t feel like they need to consistently work 60-hour weeks to achieve success in their career, thus encouraging work-life balance.
Many companies today are beginning to change the conversation about mental health by talking about how we can thrive, not just survive. For more on how Intelex supports workplace well-being, and how you can become part of the team, check out our website!
