When you imagine a productive, thriving workplace, it’s easy to focus on goals, performance metrics, or even team dynamics. In reality, there’s something even more fundamental that often gets overlooked: how each employee would rank their mental health.
That’s unfortunate, considering nearly one-fifth of US workers report their mental health as just fair or even poor, according to a 2022 Gallup poll. The same poll also found that the group tends to miss more workdays and be less productive overall. Expand that data to the workforce, and Gallup estimates that employers in the US lose 47.6 billion dollars each year.
Because May is Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re offering some ways to change that from within your workplace.
7 Ways to Promote Mental Health in Your Workplace
1. Just Start Talking About It
One of the most powerful things you can do is build a team culture that recognizes the importance of mental health and considers it as normal a topic as physical health. If you need some places to start, provide mental health resources in the break room or send a team-wide email reminding your team that their health insurance includes mental health benefits.
2. Consider Launching an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
An EAP provides free, confidential counseling and mental health resources, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to offer your team an added perk that will garner their long-term loyalty. If you already offer one, make sure you encourage your team to use it by sending reminders or planning a lunch-and-learn.
3. Encourage Real Breaks and Time Off
A culture that glorifies “always on” behavior does exactly zilch for a team’s collective mental health. Encourage employees to use their PTO and to take their lunch breaks away from their desks. Building this into the culture also starts from the top: make sure your managers take visible breaks themselves.
Create More Flexible Schedules or Policies
Flexible start times, remote or hybrid policies — these perks give employees a sense of control over how they work, which in turn can significantly reduce stress and improve well-being.
5. Help Your Leadership Team Serve as Mental Health Allies
Managers need the right tools to support team members if and when they’re struggling. Consider investing in training for your supervisors on mental health awareness and resources.
6. Plan Low-Lift Social Gatherings
Feeling isolated can cause major problems when left unaddressed, especially in remote or hybrid work environments. Host regular team activities that aren’t performance-focused but social-focused, such as coffee chats or team potlucks. These can and should feel largely informal — make them about building an organic connection. Even one per month can help build rapport and camaraderie.
7. Regularly Check in About Workloads
Sometimes the biggest mental health opportunity is also the most overlooked: Make sure your people aren’t taking on too much. Regular one-on-ones with workload check-ins can help. They allow you to redistribute tasks or adjust deadlines and can prevent your team from ever reaching burnout.