Mental Wellness Link list

Assess your company mental wellness culture

  • Do employees feel heard by their managers? Can they raise issues confidently?

  • Do managers know to go to HR if they have a concern for an employee’s well-being?

  • Does your organization have an EAP program or another avenue to encourage employees to seek self-care?

  • Do employees work in a safe environment?

  • Does your organization prioritize time off for self-care, or allow for returning to work with an accommodation if needed?

  • Is your workplace inclusive? Do all people feel equal and that they belong?

  • Does your organization have a benefits program that encourages physical wellness?

How did your organization do?  

For more resources, continue along on this website.

Also read How to Establish and Design a Wellness Program, from SHRM. 

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Sun Life panel on mental wellness video  

National expert Christine M. Crawford, M.D., MPH, Associate Medical Director, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Sun Life HR professionals discuss what mental wellness at work means. This webinar provides an inside look at Sun Life’s culture as an employer and your employee benefits partner.

Why it’s ok for an employee to have a mental health day  

Seven things to remember when your employee says they need a “mental wellness” day. 

Download the full infographic

7 things to remember 7 things to remember

Why it’s ok for an employee to have a mental health day  

Seven things to remember when your employee says they need a “mental wellness” day. 

Download the full infographic

Supportive mental wellness workplace culture 

Culture of listening

  • Focus on who is talking, not on yourself 
  • Use reflective listening skills and ask "what" or "how" questions 
  • Encourage and model empathy 
  • Pay attention what is being said, and not said, to understand where there may be differences in thought 

Culture of embracing feedback

  • Try hard not to be defensive, rather, find value in what's being shared 
  • Understand the employee's point of view 
  • Demonstrate patience 
  • Speak with clarity and avoid abstract or unlikely examples 
  • Encourage employees to understand each other's communication styles and instill a team-based approach to achieving success 

 

Mental Health in the Workplace: It Starts at the Top with Regular, Real Required Conversations

By Carrie Bibens, MBA, CRC Director, Clinical-Vocational-Accommodation Services at Sun Life

Mental Health affects employees in every organization at every level, yet it encompasses diagnosable conditions that are not talked about, or sometimes even acknowledged, as prevalently as other medical conditions. According to Harvard Business Review, “Despite the fact that over 200 million workdays are lost due to mental health conditions each year ($16.8 billion in employee productivity), mental health remains a taboo subject.”  A study performed by Mind Share Partners, SAP and Qualtrics around the stigma in the United States, found that an employer cannot only create policies or lean on EAPs (employee assistance programs) to drive the change. Instead, the study shows that the resources that result in the most meaningful change are training for both managers and employees, as well as workplace cultural shifts to support more acceptance and support. To begin creating a culture of mental wellness and health, an employer’s approach to how they engage these discussions is critical. 

 

See the full article

This content is not to be considered legal advice. We recommend that Clients speak with legal counsel as necessary.

Group insurance policies are underwritten by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Wellesley Hills, MA) in all states except New York. In New York, group insurance policies are underwritten by Sun Life and Health Insurance Company (U.S.) (Lansing, MI).

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