Workplace exhaustion was formally recognised as a professional issue by the WHO in 2019. According to the organisation, it is the outcome of persistent job stress that has not been adequately addressed.
Burnout is terrible for both individuals and businesses, and like many other workplace concerns, it's simpler to act early and prevent it from getting worse. This, coupled with increased productivity and general morale, is why investing in mental health wellness in the workplace is in everyone's best interests.
Investing in enhancing workplace assistance, according to the WHO, will result in greater performance and financial advantages.
How do the workplace and the usage of technology influence mental health?
Over the last 100 years, our society's growth has offered us invaluable benefits, including mainstream media, social media outlets, always-on connection, artificial intelligence, and more. However, these changes also present major issues, such as cyberbullying, social media harassment, prejudice, and exhaustion, which can harm one's mental health.
Why is it more critical now than ever before?
People worldwide have been experiencing worry, tiredness, and sadness as a result of the coronavirus outbreak already. Changes in work culture have also had a significant impact on the business world.
Employees' mental, physical, and economic well-being have suffered greatly due to events such as losing a loved one, juggling domestic responsibilities and work, putting in long hours, and enduring financial turmoil. Sometimes even a round of playing online roulette can help someone cope up with the work stress.
Taking steps to implement wellness programmes has become a pressing necessity. Before COVID-19, most workers worked from an office for a certain number of hours; however, with the transition in the workplace, the manner people operate has changed significantly.
Everyone's working circumstances at home do not have to be the same. Work from home is not a perfect experience for all employees; it has also blurred between professional and personal work hours. It has a negative influence on employees' physical health due to a lack of adequate working space and their emotional health.
HR professionals and executives must address this issue and evaluate their present wellness programmes, or, if none exist, consider implementing one in their company.
What can employers do to help?
Policy formulation, awareness, training programs, and initial therapy are all efforts that organisations should consider implementing. This can include establishing corporate guidelines and directives on mental health, disseminating resources through inbuilt marketing strategies. This will raise consciousness, offering management and HR the necessary coaching to assess and monitor issues and supplying staff members with self-help tools and practices.
Modern technology is now more than ever playing a critical role in diagnosing and managing mental illness, allowing patients to receive treatment when talk therapy and medicines were previously unavailable. Investing in mental health programmes for an organisation's executives and workers may assist in various ways.
Early Intervention/Prevention is a priority
Given that people spend around 60% of their time at work. That work may be full of stressors such as pressure, deadlines, colleague behaviour and attitudes, leadership styles, job stability concerns, and so on, teaching about good stress coping strategies makes sense. It can assist in resolving problems before they are crippling – and costly to the company.
Minimise prejudice and foster a good work environment
Mental health still has a stigma attached to it. People are afraid of being ostracised, regarded as odd, and deemed unsuited for their jobs if they expose their problems. Employers play a critical role in helping employees by providing mental health education and encouraging open communication. By providing awareness-raising materials, we can contribute to creating an accessible and attractive work environment that encourages interaction and draws talent.
Boost productivity and employee engagement
When a person is physically fit, they are more likely to be healthy. Mental health is the same way. Boosting your workers' mental health - making them more emotionally robust to stress – may enhance their cognition, judgement, productivity, and interactions at work. All of these factors contribute to higher productivity.
Treating problems to lessen their impact
You might or might not know whether an employee is experiencing mental health issues before the pandemic. However, having such tools available to an employee can help them receive the support they need promptly. An HR supervisor's involvement is crucial in ensuring success by locating high-quality, proof-based solutions. Offering a range of therapy alternatives for an employee – whether it is through the healthcare package, an on-staff well-being counsellor, online programmes, or a mix of these – will aid to alleviate that person's distress and address their diminished performance.