How Bosses Can Be Better at Helping Workplace Mental Health Struggles
/The fundamentals of acceptance and identity in rewarding workplaces should be a right, not a privilege. One of the most significant issues is that so many professional organizations still don't have the right abilities to support the mental health of our employees. Supporting mental health is not just a box-ticking exercise, but it's something that should be an ongoing holistic practice. Here are some ways line managers and bosses can better support employees' mental health:
Recognize the Pressurizing Processes
If a temp worker comes into an organization, they are expected to “fall in” and do what is asked of them with little to no rights. There are so many ways temp employees can feel overwhelmed. For example, agency time tracking tools force a worker to show how they've spent every single minute of their day. If line managers and managers can recognize the parts of the process that trigger those with mental health concerns, we can make things far easier for employees. We need to look at the needs of the business, but if a process has too many parameters causing a sense of overwhelm or disconnect, we have to address these directly.
Be Vulnerable
While the pandemic has worked towards normalizing mental health challenges, a manager may still feel like they must steer the ship and not display vulnerabilities. Leaders must speak about their mental health to normalize it and show that the people in charge are human, which will go a long way to unraveling the pressure to fulfill the needs of the business first and foremost. It's essential for a company to be transparent, and leadership strategies don't just have to evoke professionalism. They can also showcase authenticity as well. An authentic leadership style will increase employee engagement, but it will help those experiencing mental health challenges to feel like they're not alone in how they think.
Create a Connective Culture
Many line managers are feeling the pressure to deliver on deadlines and if someone comes to them saying they're not feeling right it can be easy for that person to feel dismissed. It's critical to sew in a culture of connectivity throughout the organization. Regular check-ins are something that may have occurred throughout the pandemic but it's something that now needs to be a part of any organization. Beyond a “How are you,” the people in charge should ask what can help an employee to feel more supported. We can struggle for many reasons, not just the workload but one of the most significant issues in an organization is that it's always business first, people second. Inclusivity is about making sure that people are free to voice their concerns if they are struggling. People need different things at different times, and creating a connective culture will allow workers to feel secure in speaking up and believe that they don't need to keep pushing on to the point of burnout.
Bosses should be more aware of mental health concerns in the modern workplace, and while it's more widely acknowledged, there is still a long way to go.