The Role of HR in Promoting Mental Health in the Workplace

Do you understand the role of HR in promoting and creating safe psychological workplaces? Are your employees able to strike a work-life balance? Are they aware of the various mental health programs available to them? These are some questions that you need to ask yourself as an employer to better understand how HR can play a pivotal role in making mental health more accessible at your workplace.

Taking care of your employee’s mental health is important for any organization to succeed and thrive. Making conversation around mental health and creating awareness about various mental health programs is a crucial step in building a mentally healthy workforce. It is often the stigma around mental health conditions and the lack of awareness combined that results in frequent burnout in employees. Are you a CHRO or HR professional trying to understand how you can help alleviate this problem? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Read this blog to explore ways in which you can promote mental well-being at your workplace.

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What is the Role of HR in Building Safe Spaces?

A lot of organizations these days have mental wellness programs in place but the problem exists in the way these programs are executed and the approaches taken by the organization to make these programs more effective. So what is the solution here? Yes, the answer to this question is simple: the HR department.

It is the responsibility of the HR department to make sure that the organization has a culture of open communication and empathy for the employees. A lot of times employees are hesitant to bring up their mental health-related problems to their managers and co-workers because of the fear of discrimination and shame, but it is exactly in these situations where the HR department acts as a middle person and comes to the rescue. The HR officials are in these cases responsible for making sure that people can be their authentic versions at work and can openly express their mental health problems without any fear of judgment or prejudice.

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How can HR Promote Mental Health at Work?

Now that we have understood how essential HR is for building a culture of mental wellness at workplaces, it is time we outline a step-by-step guide for you to follow as an HR official while building your dream workforce.

Acknowledge Mental Well-being as a serious issue

Very often we come across organizations having sick leaves for their employees but there are still no mental health leaves. Why is this the case? Simply put physical health is given more importance here over mental health. As an HR official, your first step in creating mentally thriving workforces should be to vouch for policies on an organizational level that promote mental wellness and encourage open conversations around mental health issues.

Challenge the stigma around mental health

Yes, once you have acknowledged the severity of mental health issues, it is time to create spaces without any judgment against these problems. You can do this by having more sensitivity and empathy workshops around mental health problems for employees or by having a grievance cell in the organization. These mechanisms can help in encouraging employees struggling with their mental health to reach out to you as the HR and speak up.

Train the managers

For any organization to be successful, it is crucial for managers to have a great rapport with their employees and team. As HR you can train your managers to keep daily check-ins with their team and to have feedback mechanisms for transparent and open communication to exist between both the managers and the team. This step is the most crucial step in building open communication and a culture of safe dialogues in the workplace.

Promote Work-life balance

It is time we stop rewarding over-working and start setting precedence for a balanced way of working. As HR it is your responsibility to set an example and promote the concept of healthy working hours among employees. So the next time an employee requests a work-from-home, make sure that you are more open to it and are considerate towards this request. This step is the best way to make sure that your employees are not setting themselves up for possible burnout.

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Take action

The last step is simple: Come up with more policies and programs that support the mental well-being of your employees. These support programs can range from something as simple as social interactions among employees to providing mental health insurance to your employees. This is a step where we come to your rescue. At United We Care, we have an extensive range of Employee Assistance Programs available to cater to your employees’ needs.

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UWC: Your Guide to a Healthy and Happy Workplace

Still not sure about how to help and support your employees on their mental wellness journey? Are you confused about which approach to take when it comes to assisting your employees? Is your organization not able to implement and action the various programs you have in place? If these questions are bothering you, then we are here to help you.

United We Care is your personal guidebook to building and fostering mentally healthy and thriving workplaces. We are here to provide you with mental wellness programs tailored to the needs and requirements of your employees and organization. Want to learn more about our global positive impact on organizational well-being?

Here are reasons why you should connect with us today:

1. With our Mental wellness initiatives, around 80% of employees experienced improvement in their mental wellbeing.
2. Interestingly 70% observed improved sleeping patterns.
3. And the most important- 75% reported that they experienced a reduction in stress level.

As an HR professional, are you wondering what is your role here then?

It is simple: trust us with providing your employees efficient and holistic mental healthcare and start your journey towards building mentally healthy workplaces with us today.

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