Mental health is one of the most essential aspects of a highly-efficient workplace, whether remote or conventional. Not only does it ensure good productivity, but it also renders adequate confidence to the employee so they can achieve more in their career. It's like an energy source that ensures the long-term association of an employee with a company.

When a company ensures good mental health workplace practice, employees can come up with critical thinking, good decision-making, and, most importantly, reduced stress. It can indirectly result in good growth for the company and a happening working experience for the teammates.

‍

Let's discuss the importance of employees' mental health at work in detail:

‍

Mental Health Disorders and Workplace

‍

According to an article by WHO, among the working employees in the world, about 15% suffer from mental disorders. These mental disorders impose a direct impact on people's confidence and work identity. In fact, in the long term, this bad mental health can affect an employee's productivity and the potential to retain information.

About 12 billion work days (yes, that much) are wasted or lost yearly due to common mental health conditions in employees (like depression and anxiety). In fact, these two disorders cost US$ 1 trillion to the global economy due to reduced productivity.

Meanwhile, another data from the National Library of Medicine indicates how mental health disorder is one of the primary reasons for employees to drop out from work. This could be justified by the fact that about 58% of work-related disabilities were related to poor mental health disorders in the Netherlands. Similarly in a UK data, 30-40% of the employees considered mental health conditions to be the reasons for their sickness absences.

A significant thing to note here is that bad mental health doesn't affect the employee alone. In fact, it also affects their relationship with their leaders/superiors, fellow colleagues, and even family members. For this reason, employees may face picking disputes and fights with their near ones.  

‍

How Can Good Mental Health Transform a Workplace?

‍

If a workplace introduces effective initiatives to improve the mental health of the employees, the company can transform for good. Here's how good mental health can transform a workplace:

Positive work culture - Good mental health ensures a positive work culture and limits any negative perceptions in the company. It can boost the employee's morale and share their problems whenever they feel distressed.

Less Absenteeism - A company with good mental health practices can expect less absenteeism. That's because mental health disorders are one of the reasons why employees tend to skip their work days. So, when the company takes care of it with their health, employees don't have anything to worry about.

Happening Work Atmosphere - A positive and supportive environment is very important for a successful organization. Speaking of which, when a company practices good mental health practices, employees can feel more comfortable sharing their issues with others in the team, ensuring a happening and helpful work atmosphere.

Good Communication - As mentioned earlier, bad mental health is related to a lack of confidence, which can eventually affect communication in a company. By ensuring good mental health practices, employees can retain their confidence and communicate well with each other. It can further promote active listening and prevent any conflicts or misunderstandings in an organization.

Employee Retention - Employees are less likely to leave an organization that follows good mental health regimes regularly. This could be justified by research, which indicates that 79% of employees are likely to be associated with an organization that offers high-quality mental health resources.  

‍

General Practices to Maintain Good Mental Health in a Workplace

‍

There are several ways by which a company can ensure good mental health for its employees. This includes:

Flexibility - A flexible company never fails to impress an employee. As we are living in a progressive era, employees need more edge to work as independent yet productive individuals. In such cases, nagging them for every little thing just for the sake of regulations isn't always a good idea. Company owners should try giving flexibility (wherever possible) so employees can work at their own pace. This could be related to their timings, working procedures, or schedules.

Balanced Work: Occasional workloads are understandable by most of the employees. However, when these things become a regular thing, it starts taking a toll on their mental health. That's why companies should maintain a balance of the work assigned to a particular team. Anything less or more can backfire significantly. Additionally, they should well-staff their teams to avoid any nuisance.

Encourage Management Instead of Too Much Micromanagement: Management is an effective way for employees and the company to fulfill their objectives and ensure good workforce operations. However, when management turns into unnecessary micromanagement, it creates pressure on the employee. They start fearing failure and other possible consequences that may occur if things go wrong. This eventually causes stress and takes a toll on their mental health. So, companies should focus less on micromanagement (unless it's necessary).

Mental Health Awareness Campaigns: Companies should also focus on initiating mental health awareness campaigns to help people understand their symptoms. These campaigns reduce mental health stigma and promote good knowledge about mental disorders.

‍

WorkViz: A Comprehensible Tool to Maintain Good Mental Health in an Organization

‍

Companies should also utilize efficient tools like WorkViz to ensure good mental health in the workspace. WorkViz is an incredibly helpful tool that's secured with all the relevant features to promote employees' mental well-being. It helps to recognize whether an employee is too stressed or overworked through its in-depth insights so the company can take initiatives accordingly.

WorkViz is also integrated with an overcapacity workload alert to detect any over workload. It has emoji feedback which can be used by employees to convey their feelings and stress levels. Additionally, it has a record of time distribution, so team leaders can determine the active vs. idle time. If they notice prolonged active timing for an employee, they can modify the workload so it doesn't affect their mental health.

Moreover, WorkViz can optimize efficiency and resolve remote workplace challenges. It can ensure a happening work culture and good ambiance that surpasses physics boundaries. It can also ensure good overall communication and a seamless operation of the organization.

So, if you want your employees to have good mental health, give WorkViz a try. It will surely transform the way you handle your workspace and promote mental well-being for your employees.

‍