Heads Up! - May is Mental Health Month

External stressors, balancing work-life dynamics, feeling overwhelmed, unsupported and unrecognized, and the ever-changing needs of the workplace all contribute to stress and burnout. And with burnout, some people take time away from the office to re-energize themselves, but not everyone does, (and not everyone can). So, in many cases, stress and burnout smolder within the confines of the office.

As we observe Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to reflect on the importance and role HR leaders play in keeping workplace stress and burnout from becoming a wildfire – it starts with creating an environment where employees feel seen, heard, supported and valued.

Mental Health Tips for HR Leaders

1. Promote Open Dialogue

No one wants to feel isolated. As an HR leader, you can encourage discussions surrounding mental health and the feelings of burnout within your organization. By creating a safe space through informal check-ins or even workshops, HR leaders will be able to resolve the problems before the feelings begin to snowball.

2. Implement Flexible Work Arrangements

Is there a better way to do this 9-5 thing? When needed, HR leaders should implement options for remote work, mental health days, or compressed hours and allow flexibility in workloads to improve the overall well-being of employees. HR leaders have the power to redesign jobs or delegate responsibilities to help employees avoid any negative impacts of a corporate work environment.

3. Provide Easy Access to Resources

Help is here! HR professionals should offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), counseling services, and wellness initiatives and regularly reinforce the importance of utilizing these resources. And, HR leaders shouldn’t be afraid to acknowledge employees and teams that actively support mental health awareness and well-being initiatives. This can inspire others to get involved and foster a culture of support.

4. Recognize the Signs

HR leaders should train leaders and managers to easily recognize the signs of burnout and mental health problems. Exhaustion, decreased performance or a change in behavior, and other signs should incite co-workers to spark a conversation. By fostering an open and honest work culture, HR leaders (and broader teams) will be able to identify and resolve issues before they progress. Last year, we heard from Dr. Jarik Conrad on the importance of HR leaders recognizing burnout and implementing strategies to combat it. He emphasized that with the right tools in place, HR leaders can encourage employees to start conversation about feelings around burnout that they may be experiencing, and this, in turn, can allow HR teams to provide them with the necessary resources to succeed. Check out the conversation:

Final Thoughts

Supporting mental health is an ongoing commitment – not just a month-of-May thing. Creating a positive work culture goes beyond just one person; it takes an entire company to foster a healthy workplace and it starts with HR leaders taking the right steps. HR leaders have the power to influence organizational culture and create environments where employees thrive.