Mental Health at Work: Building Supportive Workplaces

Many of us have probably heard “check your feelings at the door” when it comes to emotions and mental health at work. Not only is that approach outdated, but it’s also harmful and unrealistic. Expecting employees and coworkers to turn off their emotions usually backfires, increasing stress at work and pressure to pretend everything is okay. Some mental health “red flags” include increased absenteeism, lowered productivity, making more mistakes, withdrawing socially, irritability and anger, and lack of motivation

23% of US adults live with some kind of mental health condition, and nearly 100% of adults will experience an episode at some point or another in their lives. Common mental health conditions often seen in the workplace include burnout, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and substance use. Unfortunately, workplace conditions can make mental health conditions worse when they’re not being managed well. No one intentionally wants to create a negative workplace, but we’re human and make mistakes. What matters is identifying the risk factors and ensuring that there are policies in place to protect employees who come forward, and processes to improve workplace conditions.

Workplace Risk Factors:

• Discrimination, inequality, and bullying in the workplace
• Being under-employed or under-utilized
• Excessive or workload
• Lack of job security
• Unclear expectations and direction
• Micromanagement
• Poor training and onboarding

What can employers and employees do?

Supportive workplaces foster emotional intelligence, acknowledge that mental health conditions are part of life, and provide resources for employees. Employers who want to promote thriving, healthy workplaces need to involve their team members to build that kind of culture. Consider creating a workplace mental health committee made up of leadership, supervisors, and frontline staff who focus on education and awareness, and can work together to promote positive mental health.

1. Awareness: Building a thriving work environment that fosters mental well-being begins with awareness and education. Offer trainings like Mental Health First Aid to supervisors and employees so they’re more knowledgeable and feel comfortable talking with one another about mental health.

2. Accommodations: Creating a safe environment for those with mental health conditions is an important and necessary investment. Some people still view accommodations as ways to get out of work; that is not the case at all. They can range from flexible workplaces to white noise machines to better training. Check out the Department of Labor’s resources on workplace mental health accommodations for more information.

3. Assistance: Offering an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) and ensuring that employees feel comfortable accessing it is important. EAPs often offer confidential counseling sessions, free advice and services, financial planning, and family support. These benefits are meant to improve the overall well-being of employees so that they can thrive.

4. Access: Ensuring that the health plans offered include comprehensive coverage for mental and behavioral health services is another vital resource. You cannot separate mental health from physical health. Having access to the right resources, whether it’s trained providers, medications, or mental health programs, is a proven way to improve the mental well-being of employees.

Positive change takes time, and there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to improving mental health. By focusing on awareness, accommodations, assistance, and access, employers and their team members can work together to build workplaces that encourage everyone to thrive and where people don’t feel the need to check their feelings at the door to succeed. Check out the links below for more information about mental health resources in the workplace.

Resources

APA-Center for Workplace Mental Health, World Health Organization, Mental Health at Work PSA Campaign, Cleveland Clinic-Signs of Burnout, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health First Aid, and Department of Labor.

About Florida Health Care Plans

Founded in 1974, Florida Health Care Plans (FHCP) is a pioneering provider of health insurance plans and comprehensive health care services, available to individuals, families, employers, and Medicare-eligible individuals.

Headquartered in Daytona Beach, FHCP was the first federally qualified Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) in Florida and the second federally qualified HMO in the Nation. As a community-based health care provider, FHCP offers members access to primary and multispecialty care, on-site pharmacies and labs, radiology, ultrasound, and other services at its integrated care centers located throughout Brevard, Flagler, St. Johns, Seminole, and Volusia Counties.

An affiliate of Florida Blue and part of the GuideWell family of health solutions companies, FHCP carries an A+ (Superior) Financial Strength Rating from AM Best. FHCP is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

For additional information, visit www.FHCP.com. For the latest news and content, visit the FHCP Newsroom and follow FHCP on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram @floridahealthcareplans, and X (formerly Twitter) @myFHCP.