The research shows that the rise of a hybrid work environment caused 59% of managers to work more since the pandemic, creating tremendous mental health challenges. Having a healthy and engaged workforce requires employers to prioritise emotional wellness in the workplace. However, only 26% of companies have programs for helping “silent sufferers”. Thus, improving emotional well-being at the workplace can have transformational benefits for employees that are the driving force behind every successful business.
There is a growing concern regarding employees falling into isolation from working at home and hopelessness from the ever-increasing global crises. Today employers face new challenges with managers needing to prioritise and assess their team’s mental and emotional health by understanding what factors to measure and how to capture them. Also, we need to remember that the workforce more extensive sector belongs to the millennials generation. Who has higher depression rates than older generations? Much of this is contributed to inadequate social skills and digital growth over the last ten years.
Human contact has been replaced by emails, texting and short video calls. In many corporations, there is still old-school management which believes there is no place for emotions in the workplace. With this in mind, the modern approach requires leaders to be more just than a boss who oversees work and is necessary to be a mentor or coach who must be comfortable in offering emotional support. The time when a private therapist would be more appropriate is far gone, with the new data showing that 90% of employees perform better when mental health at work is addressed.
It is crucial to encourage managers and employees to discuss emotional well-being in the workplace to start removing the stigma around mental health. Such actions create pleasant feelings such as happiness and acceptance within the teams. Poor emotional well-being at work can cause changes in behaviours and emotional outbursts such as panic attacks, decision-making errors, and mood swings. People with challenging emotional health are more likely not to take on tasks, have difficulties in problem-solving or do not provide full potential. Already within the UK, we notice 40% of workplace absence, and those numbers are rising.
In the view of McKinsey & Company, “if the companies make mental health services more accessible and intervene in the workplace in ways that improve well-being, they will simultaneously make an investment that will provide real improvements in employee outcomes and consequences in company performance”. Thus, an increase in workplace satisfaction leads to more significant ROI.
Implementing emotional well-being programs and providing the correct tools will help employees who are more vulnerable to a feeling of stress, depression, or anxiety to build their self-esteem, making them more productive. We must remember that even the most dedicated employee might burn out if overworked by long hours, poorly scheduled and after-work email replies. Still, many companies pride themselves on their hard-driving environment without realising a diminishing return on their employee’s mental health. We must remember that successful, loyal employees want to feel supported and valued despite emotional flaws.
Author: Aneta Buckthought, Pure-Ception
Company bio:
Pure-Ception Ltd provides services that help professionals and organisations introduce better emotional well-being in the workplace by using innovative tools and education programs.