The 2023 Mental Health at Work Report from Mind Share Partners, a nonprofit focused on workplace mental health, shows in 2021, 54% of employees said their company prioritized mental health compared with other issues, but just 38% said the same in 2023, according to Inc. Additionally, the report found overall employee mental health declined from 2021 to 2023.
Mental wellness initiatives are crucial and can help retain employees; a 2023 survey conducted by the Workforce Institute at UKG reports two-thirds of employees said they would take a pay cut for a job that better supported their mental wellness.
Inc. shares the following ways companies can focus on building a comprehensive mental health support system for employees.
- Prioritize proactivity. Unexpected personal or even global events can affect employee mental well-being. Companies should be prepared with resources and preventive mental health solutions. Consider facilitating ongoing discussions through employee resource groups; hosting monthly or quarterly wellness workshops to educate employees; or even encouraging company leaders to speak more vulnerably about hard days in meetings to normalize mental health conversations in the workplace.
- Reconsider the way you work. Survey employees to gather anonymous feedback regarding how to improve the workplace and the way it functions. Consider how broader organizational factors affect employee well-being, such as job demands, employees’ sense of autonomy, how meetings are structured and company policies.
- Train your managers. Managers are key regarding workplace well-being and require appropriate training to effectively support their team members—not to diagnose employees but to be compliant and compassionate. Provide managers with resources that can help them build a supportive team culture and encourage them to have regular one-on-one conversations with team members.
