Employee Recognition and Mental Health

Mental health has been getting a lot of attention lately and there are good reasons why.  Many employees leave roles for mental health reasons, both voluntarily and involuntarily. There are many factors that affect mental health at work, such as:

• lack of flexibility
• unhealthy relationships with management
• and lack of opportunities for personal and professional growth
• unreasonable deadlines and/or workload
• a culture where there is always a sense of urgency and everything is a priority

According to the National Standard on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, employee recognition is a major factor contributing to psychological health in the workplace. Employers can use the following actions to boost the mental health of their employees:

• Provide flexibility to the extent possible;
• Involve employees in the decision-making process;
• Take into account employees’ needs for healthy work-life balance;
• Implement career development programs for employees;
• Implement recognition and reward programs;
• Disseminate information about obtaining mental health support such as from an EAP Program;
• Maintain an environment where mental health and wellness can be discussed openly and freely.

Creating favorable working conditions conducive to the preservation of mental health will reduce absenteeism, and increase performance and productivity, which, in turn, will contribute to growth and profitability for your company.

If you are interested in creating a Mental Health & Wellness Strategy for your team, contact us at LinkHR.