Reference no: EM133334073

Assignment: Since most Americans spend most of their day working, companies need to start creating a cultural norm so that employees feel comfortable coming forward if they're facing issues affecting their mental health. We as a company need to create a culture of check-ins and a place where managers are demonstrating and modeling healthy behavior themselves. Ensure you are providing your leadership with tools and procedures to help your employees. Are we as a company ensuring they have the flexibility to balance their lives?

Having conversations between managers and direct reports to articulate individual working styles and preferences supports inclusion. Employers must also ensure that teams have the resources and bandwidth necessary to do their jobs effectively while remaining mentally healthy. Employers should provide organization-wide opportunities for connection and also promote these ongoing, deeper one-on-one conversations between managers and direct reports as well as between colleagues. "How are you?" should always be followed up with "How can I help you?" especially at the manager level. The importance of empathy and authenticity cannot be overstated.

Supervisors and leaders of the organization should be equipped to recommend resources to get employees the help they need. Your company can offer training on mental health for managers and employees. Organizations need to train leaders, managers, and all employees on how to navigate mental health at work, have difficult conversations, and create supportive workplaces. Managers are often the first line in noticing changes and supporting their direct reports. Building an environment of psychological safety is key. Supervisors and leaders of the organization should be equipped to recommend resources to get employees the help they need. Mental health policies, practices, culturally competent benefits, and other resources must be put in place and (over) communicated.

Decent work supports good mental health by providing key thing to employees a livelihood; a sense of confidence, purpose and achievement; an opportunity for positive relationships and inclusion in a community; and a platform for structured routines, among many other benefits. Are you creating a flexible working environment for employees to take time off to receive mental health help if needed? Look at your company hours, paid time off policies and try to find a balance between working hard and overworking your workforce. Other ideas include no email after hours, focused work time, and no-meeting days. Leaders must model these and other mentally healthy behaviors for employees to truly feel like they can do the same. It could also be helpful to reexamine your policies and procedures.

Change starts from the top. Let's hold ourselves accountable, and help our employees, they need us now more than ever. If we normalize mental heath and give them tools and ways to cope with these issues, they will in fact be better all-around employees. Let's help them grow as individuals so they can help our business grow. We are all in this together, we are in fact shaping our future one piece of the pie at a time.