Did you know that poor mental health is a contributing factor to almost half of work-related illnesses? Sick days aren’t optimal for productivity and business growth – especially if your employees struggle to recover from a mental health lapse.
What can you do to support your employees and ensure they are mentally healthy?
It may not seem like it, but software solutions can actually be a driving factor in maintaining a culture of wellness at work. Let’s discuss the top SaaS solutions for corporate mental health.
Why Mental Health Matters At Work
Why should employers and business leaders prioritize mental health? Isn’t that something people need to handle in private?
Welcoming Full Disclosure
Toxic or judgemental work environments can make employees shy away from disclosing their mental health struggles. Many people in positions of all levels struggle with conditions like BPD, Bipolar Disorder, and anxiety disorders.
If they don’t have an open and understanding corporate infrastructure, keeping their struggle private can contribute to stress, and they will not be able to ask for the help and support they require. With a more open and understanding workplace, there is no shame in asking for help, allowing employees to feel completely comfortable and supported with regard to mental disorders and mental health.
Supporting Confidence
Imposter syndrome, anxiety, and self-doubt are enemies of creativity, productivity, and confidence. By supporting mental health in the workplace and establishing a forgiving dialogue about fears, worries, and concerns, you can nurture employees better to improve their workplace confidence.
Avoiding Burnout
84% of millennials have suffered from burnout at some point or another. Burnout is difficult to recover from in its later stages and can eventually drive employees to quit. Rest and longer breaks from work will drive your employees into a state of ‘I just can’t do it anymore’ – especially in high-stress roles.
Keeping tabs on holidays taken and encouraging mental health days will reduce the likelihood of employees quitting due to excessive unresolved burnout.
Life Is Unpredictable
Death, divorce, financial stress, and big life changes, such as moving home, can make employees feel as though they are drowning in stress. When stress occurs, cognitive function is affected, and mistakes are made.
How can you expect employees to focus on monthly reports, data entry, and accuracy when they already have so much on their plate?
Encouraging mental health breaks for big life events is in your best interest, as well as creating a safe space for employees to share these struggles.
How To Spot Burnt-Out Or Struggling Employees?
Without establishing a system or structure for mental health reporting, employees may not know who to turn to when they’re in distress.
Dr. Paul Daidone, Medical Director at True Self Recovery, offers some insight as to why employees may not be forthcoming about burnout and struggles:
“They may fear that coming forward will affect their job status, which is why you should invest in mental health structures to establish a clear path for conversations about mental health – as well as ensuring employees that their mental health can’t affect their opportunities.”
SaaS Solutions To Support Employee Well-Being
Here are some of the top SaaS solutions to establish an open environment for mental health discussions in the corporate sphere.
Wellness Verification Software
Employees may not always come forward when they’re feeling stressed, which is why daily reporting about mental health is so important. If you already have a cloud-based access control system with mobile access credentials, you can integrate wellness verification software.
The software integrates with your access control system to implement digital surveys. When employees try to enter the building using their mobile access credentials (digital keycards), the system will provide them with a survey to fill out.
When they have filled out the brief survey, they can enter the building. Although this software was originally designed to provide screening for symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be extremely useful for monitoring workplace stress and mental health difficulties.
Based on these surveys, HR managers can identify the need for general employee wellness resources or spot employees who may need additional support.
Employee Rewards Software For Wellness
Many employee rewards software tools offer crucial resources for mental and emotional wellness, such as guided meditations, self-care kits, and access to online therapists. By providing these perks, businesses can make the most of their employee benefits to drive a culture of wellness.
Knowledge Base Software
Additionally, companies can develop a comprehensive knowledge base of mental health resources that employees can access from the cloud using their mobile devices. In creating this content, they should consider using an AI detector to make it more human-like and empathetic to readers, ensuring the resources are engaging and supportive. Several knowledge management software solutions are available online.
Wellness Challenge Applications
What are the three foundational aspects of wellness? Nutrition, rest, and exercise. Wellness challenge applications encourage employees to work on their mental health by getting proper sleep, drinking water, eating well, and exercising regularly.
Your employees can compete based on steps taken, water consumed, and exercise completed throughout the month by reporting it on an app interface. Setting a reward for self-care ensures your employees prioritize themselves and turns your business into a well-oiled machine with healthier subjects.
Interpersonal Relationship Training
What’s the worst thing for employee mental health? Negative interactions in the office. Although we can’t expect employees to be positive at all times, having healthier conflicts will drive mental health.
There are plenty of learning management applications that provide interpersonal relationship training to ensure your employees don’t feel attacked or disliked at work – even when they are undergoing a lot of stress.
Counseling And Support Apps
Many mental health support platforms offer corporate memberships, allowing you to outsource therapy and counseling.
Dr. Brooke Keels, Chief Clinical Officer at Lighthouse Recovery, highlights how the need for therapy platforms may not be immediately apparent:
“Although employees may not feel comfortable discussing their mental health and life stresses at work, they will benefit from having access to a licensed therapist 24/7 for confidence, self-esteem, and positive relationships.”
Everyone can benefit from therapy, even if they don’t struggle with their mental health. Here’s how:
- Stress management – everyone experiences stress and overwhelm. Having an outlet to discuss their stress and devise solutions for managing it will only benefit their approach to daily life.
- Relationships – whether at work or at home, everyone struggles with relationship difficulties at one time or another. Navigating conflict resolution is far easier with the support of a therapist.
- Low Mood – Your employees deserve happiness in every capacity. A therapist can help your employees make their lives more fulfilling and take better care of themselves for a happier lifestyle.
- Progression – A therapist can support employees who feel ‘stuck’ in their position, discussing opportunities for progression and empowering them to take the chance.
- Confidence – Those who shy away from public speaking and big life steps can gain confidence and self-esteem with therapy, ensuring they’re well-equipped to take the steps they need out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
- Workaholicism – Sometimes, people function exceptionally well at work, even when they should be resting. A therapist will encourage workaholics to take a rest and prioritize their personal lives for better work-life balance.
All of these aspects can be covered and discussed with a licensed therapist, and your employees will be extremely grateful for the opportunity – therapy can be expensive and inaccessible for many people.
Summary
As an employer, you have the chance to take care of your employees from an emotional perspective, empowering them with support and an open, supportive atmosphere. People aren’t numbers, and when they’re not performing well, it’s usually a symptom of a larger issue relating to wellness. Investing in at least one, if not all, of these tools will immeasurably improve morale at work, making your employees more likely to stick around!
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