Mental Health Tricks for Your Employees

No longer is it OK for businesses to only provide support for their employees’ physical health. It’s now incumbent on all businesses to protect the mental health of their employees as well.

Mental health is becoming a major focus of people all across the country today and for good reason. Studies have shown that it’s directly related to physical health. In other words, if you don’t take care of your mental health, you have a chance of becoming physically unhealthy as a result.

Work is a major part of people’s mental health. In some cases, a poor work environment could be contributing to people’s negative mental health. In other cases, a person’s mental health issues could be having a negative effect on the job they do in work.

That’s why employers need to do everything they can to support their employees’ mental health. Here are some ways you can support your employees’ mental health.

Address Stress

A vast majority of Americans believe that their job is stressful. Chronic stress, no matter where it comes from, can cause some major health problems. Inside the workplace, stress can contribute to employee fatigue and irritability. Some studies have suggested it even costs employers in the U.S. about $300 billion per year due to lost productivity.

Employers may not be able to help their employees eliminate stress entirely. However, they can help them better manage it. Managers can take a hands-on approach to helping their employees juggle their schedule and manage their time.

Creating an open line of communication for employees to air grievances in a safe place can also prove very effective. When employees know you’re listening to them and care, it helps to reduce their stress.

Provide Training

Managers have a lot to deal with nowadays, and the mental health of their employees is a major focus. There is a stigma that revolves around mental health, even if it’s getting better by the day.

Employers can help their managers understand how to help support their employees’ mental health by providing them with specific training in this regard. How should they handle a situation where an employee comes to them with a mental health problem? What should they do if they believe an employee is dealing with a mental health issue?

Providing proper training to managers can help them identify potential issues and know resources they can give to employees should they need them.

Create Flexible Scheduling

People have a lot to balance today, so providing them with flexible scheduling options — if possible — can go a long way in helping them improve their mental health. When employees are given the proper time to deal with everything they need to do outside the office, they are more likely to be more productive inside the office.

Employees who have flexible schedules and sufficient paid time off are often more satisfied with their job, which helps lead to less stress and better overall mental health.

Provide Mental Health Benefits

Many employer-sponsored health plans offer mental health-related benefits today. A great idea is to evaluate the current plan that you offer and see if there are ways you can integrate mental health coverage. Does your plan cover visits to a therapist if an employee needs that service?

In addition to covered visits, consider adding other plan perks that could support your employees’ mental health. This could be direct benefits such as free subscriptions to mental health apps, reduced costs for massages or memberships to a gym.

It could also be benefits that indirectly support mental health, such as financial planning services. This could help reduce stress related to money, which is one of the biggest contributing factors to stress and anxiety.

Employers today can get creative with what mental health support benefits they provide, as there are many choices in this regard.

Work with Beckham Insurance Group to Support Your Employees’ Mental Health

Supporting your employees’ mental health is essential today. It’s no longer a “nice to have” but rather a “must have.”

If your business is located in the Southeast region, you should work with Beckham Insurance Group to figure out what mental health benefits you can integrate into your employer-sponsored health care plans. Our experienced professionals have years of experience working with companies just like yours and can help advise you on what programs are available and how you can get creative to support your employees’ mental well-being.

To find out more, contact us today.