May is Mental Health Awareness Month

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the mental health of people of all ages, and now more than ever it is critical to reducing the stigma around mental health struggles that commonly prevent individuals from seeking help.  Mental health does not only affect the home life but work as well. I wish I could say employees will leave their own/family mental health issues at the door before they walk into the workplace, but that just isn’t reality. Did you know 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime!?  That isn’t a small number and it can affect the workplace in a big way. Here are some examples of how mental health can disturb the work environment:

• Low productivity, quality of work declines
• Outbursts towards coworkers, supervisors, or customers
• Anxiety and worry
• Attendance and overall participation decline

But taking care of our employees and seeking to provide them the help they need will result in a better workplace as well. Some examples

• Increased productivity: Research shows that nearly 86 percent of employees treated for depression report improved work performance. And in some studies, treatment of depression has been shown to reduce absenteeism and presenteeism by 40 to 60 percent.
• Increased retention: In a 2019 survey of more than 1,500 employees nationwide, more than a third of the respondents said they had left a job due at least in part to mental health. Of these, 59 percent said mental health was the primary reason.
• Decreased health care and disability costs: According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, rates of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases are twice as high in adults with serious mental illness.

The good news is mental illnesses are common and most are treatable!  We just need to be aware of our options for assistance. 

Two Simple Steps to implement today: 

• Awareness.  Post the attached poster in a place where employees can see it and let them take their own assessments. It’s a quick, free, and private way for someone to assess their mental health and recognize signs of mental health problems.

For more information on mental health awareness, visit https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/mental-health-month/

• Watch for signs of anxiety, stress, anger, or other signs that something is wrong and privately address solutions with the employee.

And as always, I am here for you too.  If any of your employees are ever in need of assistance, please let us know and we can begin the interactive process of assisting them.