Supporting Employee Mental health and Well-being
Historically, individuals experiencing poor mental health were viewed by their employers as “having to deal with a personal problem”. However, there is now a greater understanding that mental health is a continuum ranging from mental wellness to acute illness, and the fact is, the majority of employees (regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or industry) are likely to experience some symptom of poor mental health at some point in their careers.
Furthermore, employees who are experiencing poor mental health are:
4x more likely to say they intend to leave their current company
3x more likely to report low job satisfaction
3x more likely to experience toxic workplace behavior
2x more likely to report low engagement at work
This in turn can create huge cost challenges for employers, which can ultimately harm business outcomes and performance.
Therefore, now more than ever, employers are tasked with playing a key role in supporting employee mental health and well-being.
According to McKinsey Health Institute, 59% of the global workforce say they experience at least one mental health challenge. This is why employers should start viewing the workplace through a more modern understanding of health that is rooted in wellness. Not only will it allow employees to be seen and heard, but it can lead to positive business outcomes like increased job satisfaction and employee engagement.
It is important to recognize, however, that while avoiding business losses serves as a great incentive, the most important part of why employers should support mental health and well-being is because of the people. Businesses are their people, and research shows that the majority of people require intentional mental health and well-being support.
"When a workplace culture values wellness support, they are also communicating that quality of life matters to the company."
- Jenna Zaffino, COO of Spark This Day
This is exactly what we at Spark This Day aim to do: provide whole-human health to the workforce and help HR & People professionals use real data to identify how they can best support their employees. Click here to learn more.