The Solution To Employee Wellbeing – How You Get There
So, what does a Holistic Mental Wellbeing Strategy look like in practice? It’s not about expensive clinics or acquiring additional manpower resources. It’s about practical, everyday steps, utilising existing resources, that build resilience and mental wellbeing support.
1. Develop a holistic Group Mental Wellbeing Strategy
- Just like safety, mental wellbeing isn’t a quick-fix project – it’s a continuous journey.
- It needs to be woven into policies, leadership training, and everyday work practices.
2. Training & Awareness
- Empower employees to participate in the Group’s Mental Wellbeing Strategy
- Equip Human Resources and line managers to spot early warning signs, such as;
- Changes - in mood, interaction with colleagues, difficulty in making decisions, becoming irritable, anxiety or stress, not speaking up in or out of meetings, becoming silent and withdrawn, skipping non-mandatory events, no longer volunteering to take on additional work or the working of additional hours, excessive tiredness, lack of interest, increased levels of smoking or drinking, work performance, to absenteeism or disengagement - are often signals of deeper struggles …. to name but a few.
3. Open Communication Culture
- Break the stigma. Employees need to feel safe, to have a safe space to show vulnerability and to feel comfortable in raising their hand and saying, “I’m struggling,” without fearing being stigmatised, or having their request for help being seen as career limiting.
- Silence is riskier than honesty, and does not serve the employee or the organisation.
4. Internal Support Network
- Upskill Human Resources and first tier managers to be the first point of call, especially to identify mental wellbeing challenges in the workplace, and to take precisive action.
- Upskill Human Resources to be coaches as they have the advantage of institutional knowledge and understanding of Group culture, vision, mission, objectives and workplace challenges -something external Employee Assistance Programs lack.
5. Practical Tools for Employees
- Mental wellbeing (Self-Healing) and relationship courses give employees life skills to cope with and to manage workplace, life and relationship challenges.
- Mentorship and neuro coaching provide tailored guidance to those struggling the most.
The goal: a workforce that is mentally strong, engaged, and productive.
The question which we need to ask ourselves is: “Does it make good business sense to invest in employee mental wellbeing?” From an economical, legal, moral and risk management perspective, the answer is a resounding “YES”.
The greatest gift an organisation can give its employees is not a pay cheque - it’s a culture that values employees and the greater humanity. So, together let’s end the ‘silent crisis’ of employee mental wellbeing by embarking on a holistic mental wellbeing strategy. It begins here. It begins now and it begins with US!!
So, here is our challenge to organisations and leaders - Will you continue to be part of the silence, or part of the solution?
We look forward to guiding, supporting and walking this wonderful journey with you and your employees.
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