Managing Mental Health at Work: The Role of Leaders

Having a strong leadership and management is a key factor in ensuring good mental health and wellbeing for employees. For many people, the way they are treated by their line manager or senior colleagues in the organization makes an enormous difference in how they feel about themselves and their work. Good mental health at work and good management go hand in hand and there are strong evidences that workplaces with high levels of mental wellbeing are more productive.

Protecting and enhancing mental health is actually part of an employer’s legal duty of care and it further shows that the organization is ethical and responsible. It also reduces the potential costs of mental-health-related sickness absence.

We need to understand that mental health is something we all have and maintaining a good mental health gives us a sense of purpose and direction. It feeds the energy we need to do the things we want to do, and the ability to deal with the challenges that happen in our lives. Mental health is just the same as our physical health and so when we think of keeping ourselves fit to remain physically healthy, we should also think of ways to remain mentally healthy.

Awareness of mental health has gained momentum in recent times, however, we still face a world where people with mental health problems face discrimination, and can face challenges getting the help they need. This is why it is important to create workplace cultures where people can be themselves and speak about mental health concerns without fear. It is vital that workplaces become environments where people feel safe to be themselves.

A great leader needs to understand that great businesses starts on the inside and it is the people who are fundamental to everyday working and growth. The simple truth is the healthier your teammates are, the healthier the business.

So how can you as a leader support mental health at work?

It all starts with understanding your team. Most people who suffer from ill mental health tend to show more emotive tendencies and when experiencing an episode may be more sensitive to comments and the office atmosphere. By creating a safe environment and taking the time to get to know your employees as much as you can, you can protect against unintentional miscommunications and toxic work environment.

Encouraging your team to identify factors that might play a role in them becoming unwell or conducting  an employee wellbeing and happiness survey is another way of managing mental health in your workplace. This will help benchmark current feelings and attitudes to work, and also highlight red flags and grey areas that require more attention and also help to determine ways of improving workplace wellness.

The introduction of a first aid training in mental health could be part of the ways to manage health and wellbeing of your team and company. This can be easily done with the help of your HMO service provider and further shows your commitment to wellness in the workplace.

Furthermore, asides from the HR personnel, senior managers or line managers should be made responsible for implementing any mental health or wellness programs to ensure its success.

Succinctly, the mental health and wellbeing of an organization cannot be over emphasized because it should be valued as one of the core assets of your organization. As leaders, you should commit to reviewing the way you do business to ensure your everyday working culture is as mentally healthy as possible.

Udom