31 October 2024
When people hear “mental health” in conjunction with the workplace, the common assumption is that it’s a matter for HR to address. While HR does have solutions for supporting employee mental health, or addressing problems related to mental health and work being impacted by it, it doesn’t mean that having an HR department would fix mental health issues in the workplace.
Understanding and reacting appropriately to instances of mental health issues needs a systemic approach. While awareness around mental health is growing, at times, it’s often discussed as an individual challenge. The truth is, it’s a systemic issue. It impacts an individual, but it also impacts industries, workplaces, all levels of society. Oftentimes, mental health is seen as a ‘personal problem’ for employees or business owners to deal with on their own. Looking at it this way prevents us from seeing the bigger picture—that is, that different systems contribute towards both stress and support.
As HR practitioners, we encounter situations that concern mental health in the workplace regularly. While there are certain days dedicated to bringing awareness to mental health and the struggles people face in the workplace, we’re all too aware that mental health is one of those people problems that should be brought awareness to outside of, say, World Mental Health Day.
HR alone shouldn’t be the only solution a workplace has in place for dealing with mental health issues and awareness. So how can it support mental health initiatives, and what other areas should it work hand in hand with to do so?
Awareness and action start from the top, which is why it’s important that leaders in the business are open and educated when it comes to mental health. A leader, whether they’re a manager or the business owner, has a great amount of impact on their team.
Do your leaders openly acknowledge the importance of mental health? Doing so greatly contributes to reducing the stigma around mental health and its existence in the workplace. Leaders who normalise discussions around mental health, or who show that they are aware of struggles their staff could have due to mental health, are leaders that employees can feel comfortable about being honest with when it comes to problems they might be facing.
This isn’t to say that managers and business owners should be the ones employees turn to for guidance when it comes to mental health. However, it’s a step in the right direction to let staff know that their leadership team understands how mental health can (and does) impact work.
Different factors in an individual’s life can impact their mental health. It makes sense that the workplace, which is where people spend a third or more of their day, plays a big role in someone’s mental health.
Is your workplace designing systems and processes to support people’s best work? This includes providing options for flexible work (if possible), having open communication channels for individuals to provide feedback about their work, and having clear workloads and expectations.
It’s also worth taking a look at your company culture—is your workplace a safe and inclusive one for all employees?
The last piece in the effort to support a mentally healthy workplace is having HR support that’s customised to your particular industry and people.
It’s important to not generalise what people need for support. While general wellness initiatives and standard HR practices can provide a foundation, HR support that’s customised to your business goes a step further by recognising the unique challenges you might have when it comes to supporting your people. A good example is how employees in a construction business will have mental health needs that differ significantly from those who work in a high-stakes healthcare environment.
Tailor-made HR means taking into account a business’s unique fingerprint. Each business is different from the other by virtue of its people and their needs. The demographics of a business, the roles that the people in the business hold, and even their personalities are the factors that HR should also look at when it comes to considering any initiatives to implement. We’ve seen how HR support personalised to a business makes a difference in helping their people understand that the business is invested in their wellbeing.
Mental health is a normal part of life, and creating a mentally healthy workplace isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavour. Nor can it be achieved by having standard workplace policies or HR practices that don’t consider a business’s unique circumstances.
A comprehensive approach is needed when it comes to promoting a mentally healthy workplace. It involves leadership working together with HR, while also looking at how their systems are processes are supporting their people.
At Now Actually, we advocate for promoting mental health, both in the workplace, and outside it. This year, the team joined the walk for mental health for Mental Health Month. We walked to raise funds for Black Dog Institute, so they can put ground-breaking new mental health treatment, education, and digital services into the hands of the people who need them the most. Check out our page here.
