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 resulting in the most meaningful change are training for both managers and employees, as well as workplace cultural shifts to support more acceptance. To begin creating a culture of mental wellness and health, an employer’s approach to how they engage these discussions is critical.
The data shows that these conversations need to begin at the top. In 2017, a post that included a CEO’s response to an employee using a sick day to address their mental health led to a viral reaction. The overwhelmingly positive response was about the disbelief and appreciation of this employer’s support of an employee bringing their reality to work. This led to discussions on the employer role in creating a safe work environment including the need to remove the stigma from being able to talk about mental health and wellness in that environment. Fast forward ahead to today in 2021 and the challenges arising with COVID, as well as diversity and inclusion only serving to heighten awareness for this ongoing need for employer intervention.