According to recent data from Gallup, employee well-being is at an all-time low. Over 40% of employees report that they’re stressed during the workday. Just one-third of employees report that their overall well-being is thriving.
Although stress can never be eliminated from anyone’s job, the World Health Organization has recently warned that chronic workplace stress can lead to burnout. Employee burnout can devastate productivity and performance, leading to high absenteeism, increased insurance costs, and high turnover.
Supporting employee well-being through mental health days, counseling access, fair payment and workloads, and other workplace policies will help your organization reduce stress in your workforce. Find out what you need to know about recognizing stressed and burned-out employees and what you can do to help them thrive.
Recognizing and Responding to the Signs of Stress and Burnout
According to the World Health Organization, burnout has three main pillars: exhaustion, mental distance or cynicism, and reduced efficacy. These pillars can be expressed in some recognizable employee behaviors:
- Using language that indicates hopelessness or resignation (e.g., “Why bother?”)
- Failing to achieve the performance targets they once did
- Withdrawing effort and enthusiasm from their work
- Neglecting healthy habits and routines
- Displaying incivility or irritability toward coworkers
- Missing more days of work due to illness
Additional research from Gallup indicates that employees experiencing burnout are only half as likely to discuss performance with a manager. Consequently, managers should receive training on identifying and responding to employee stress with compassion. This training may include:
- Educating their teams about the signs of stress and burnout
- Developing active listening skills to help facilitate effective conversations
- Encouraging open communication with employees
- Pointing employees in need to company-provided mental health resources
- Modeling healthy stress management behaviors
Management training can go a long way toward spotting and mitigating stress and burnout in the workforce before these factors result in reduced performance or high turnover.
Legal Considerations for Employees With Mental Health Challenges
All employers covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) are prohibited from discriminating against employees based on their mental health status. Additionally, you must provide reasonable accommodations to employees with mental health conditions unless you can prove that doing so would cause undue hardship to the business.
You must know how to recognize both direct and indirect accommodation requests and be willing to engage in an interactive process to find a solution that works for everyone. For example, you might allow an employee to work from home, take more frequent breaks, or work in a quieter environment.
It’s also crucial for HR leaders to understand employee rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This law allows eligible employees with serious health conditions, including mental health conditions, to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in order to address their health needs.
You should know which of your employees are covered by the FMLA and understand how this law protects them.
Mental Health Policies That Support Employee Wellness
You can go above and beyond the standards set by federal and state laws to establish policies that promote well-being among your workforce. Here are some potential solutions.
Encouraging Work-Life Balance
Employers should recognize that employees need physical and mental breaks. You can encourage a better work-life balance by offering remote days and flexible scheduling that puts employees more in control of their time and work environment.
You should also encourage employees to use their paid time off and, if possible, consider offering additional time.
Offering Mental Health Benefits and Resources
Some employees may need more tools to address their psychological needs than what you can provide. Consider setting up mental health resources for your employees, such as in-person or online counseling. Encourage employees to take occasional mental health days to connect with a counselor or just get some downtime.
Ensuring Fair Treatment at Work
Data from Gallup shows that unfair treatment at work is one of the top causes of burnout. Consequently, HR leaders should complete periodic compensation and benefits audits to ensure employees are paid fairly for their work.
It’s also essential to train managers to provide an equal and fair workload. Unequal workloads that require some employees to pick up the slack for others can lead to burnout among the most productive members of your workforce.
Building a Culture of Open Communication
Regular performance reviews can reduce employees’ anxiety about their performance and help them find solutions to emerging problems. Reviews also provide time for managers to listen to what their team members are struggling with, offer empathy and compassion, and suggest resources to help them manage stress and get back on track.
Mental Health Matters to Employee and Organizational Success
Supporting employee mental health is vital for a healthy and engaged workforce. Ultimately, it can have a significant impact on the success of your organization.
Whether you want to create fair policies that promote employee well-being or need help understanding your obligations under the law, VirgilHR is a trusted resource. Schedule a demo today to see how VirgilHR can help you build a workplace where employees thrive.
References:
1. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/229424/employee-engagement.aspx
2. https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases 3. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/237059/employee-burnout-part-main-causes.aspx
