Each year, one in five adults in the U.S. will experience mental illness. Yet only one in three who need help will get it. As a result, many people will either miss work or will get less done on the job. The latter is known as presenteeism, when people go to work while struggling with physical or mental health issues. This is why focusing on workplace mental health is so important for your bottom line. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1 trillion per year in lost productivity. But WHO also found that for every $1 spent on treating common mental health concerns, there is a return of $4 in improved health and productivity.

According to the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), many employers are enhancing emotional and mental health benefits. Types of support can range from managing stress, to treating invisible disabilities such as anxiety and depression. Benefits of supporting employee mental health include:

Increased productivity: Research shows that nearly 86 percent of employees treated for depression report improved work performance. And in some studies, treatment of depression has been shown to reduce absenteeism and presenteeism by 40 to 60 percent.

Increased retention: In a 2019 survey of more than 1,500 employees nationwide, more than a third of the respondents said they had left a job due at least in part to mental health. Of these, 59 percent said mental health was the primary reason.

Decreased health care and disability costs: According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, rates of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases are twice as high in adults with serious mental illness.

How to support your employee’s mental health
 
Understand how mental health impacts your employees. It’s important for managers to be trained to recognize the signs of emotional distress so they can react in a supportive rather than a punitive way. Some employees need people around them to say, ‘Hey, I see you might be feeling stressed. Maybe now is a good time to take a break or a walk.’ Here are some proactive steps you can take to understand and assess your employees’ mental health:

• Make mental health training mandatory for your company’s leaders to help them be more aware of and invested in this aspect of their employees’ well-being.
• Train managers on what to do if they see signs of emotional distress or substance abuse.
• Use mental health calculators to estimate the prevalence and associated costs of untreated depression and alcohol and substance abuse at your workplace.
• Consider using surveys such as the Work Limitations Questionnaire and the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire to measure how your employees’ health and stress levels affect their productivity.

The COVID-19 pandemic. Civil unrest in our communities. School closures. Quarantine. It is no wonder people are stressed out, feeling isolated, afraid, and hopeless. This past year has impacted people in a way they have never experienced before. And guess what? This all becomes part of workplace issues we face as leaders. It also illustrates the increased importance of empathy in the workplace.  It is important to understand what ‘empathy’ at work means.  Simply put, empathy in the workplace is to show a deep respect for co-workers by demonstrating that you care, as opposed to just going by rules, regulations, and policies.  The Center For Creative Leadership recently released an article that describes key ways leaders and organizations can demonstrate empathy in the workplace. 

This pandemic crisis has given us an opportunity to have a new perspective on our organizational cultures.  As you look to increase empathy in the workplace, consider the following:
 

• Watch for signs of overwork in others—with the added stress of the pandemic, remote learning, caring for elderly, or at-risk family members, employee burnout is a significant problem.  It is important to recognize and address potential burnout early to avoid disengagement.

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• Show sincere interest in the needs, hopes, and dreams of other people—leaders must understand the long-term goals of their team members.  When there is an understanding of these goals, employees are often more engaged and leaders can match work assignments to meet not only the employees’ goals but the organization’s as well.

As first quarter comes to a close, we have seen how 2021 is still unpredictable as many are trying to restore normalcy in the workplace. With a new administration in office we will undoubtedly see more changes in our future. SHRM recently put out an article that lists a few key topics for HR to keep top of mind.

As you continue to implement your organizational priorities and strategies for 2021consider the following:

Health Care Insurance

• How will the ACA marketplace exchanges compete with other qualified health plans? Could a change in age requirement to Medicare prompt earlier retirement for employees?

​Paid Leave

• The FAMILY Act would cover workers in all companies, no matter the company size. Under the proposed act, part-time, lower-wage, contingent and self-employed workers would be eligible for benefits. How will the FAMILY Act impact your workplace if enacted? Do you offer paid leave benefits? Is there opportunity to enhance or modify these within your organization?

​Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• Does your organization have initiatives in place that includes metrics on DEI, equal pay, gender and ethnicity, and health and safety of your workforce? 

To support black employees, business leaders must challenge biases and help employees be themselves. Leaders can demonstrate care for employees of color by supporting them across multiple layers of identity — from their racial identities to other specific individual needs. Centering and uplifting employees and communities of color can define our organizational footprints for generations to come. Doing so has always been important; it is more urgent now than ever before.

Be intentional and reach out to black employees. Managers should place a special emphasis on connecting with black employees to show that the employer is trying to understand the issues they may be facing and to reinforce that they are supported in the workplace. Engagement is not always easy, and some employees may push back and say, 'You've never talked to me before. Why are you talking to me now?’ In those situations, leaders need to be willing to humble themselves, let the employee know that he or she is valued and appreciated, and affirm that the employee has a safe place to voice concerns.

​Provide supplemental support options and encourage employees to use them. Send out semi-regular reminders about the resources your organization offers. One of these communications may prove to be a lifeline for an employee who is struggling. If your company offers mental health services, anticipate workers' questions. Detail the cost to the employee and give other pertinent details. Is there a website that lists suggested providers? Are there telehealth options? Depending on the needs of the company's employees, small support groups may be able to play a role. These meetings should be a safe space where workers can talk about their experiences or just listen. If a manager or other organizational leader attends these meetings, they can also serve as a place for employees to ask questions and make suggestions.  

Here are a few of the topics employment attorneys said employers should review and be aware of for 2021.

Minimum Wage. Workers in 20 states will get a pay increase as of January 1st, when the minimum wage increases. Later in the year, another four states and Washington, D.C. will raise their baseline pay.

Leave Mandates. In 2020, the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) provided paid leave for certain workers who had COVID-19 or whose children's schools or child care providers were closed due to the pandemic. Although FFCRA's paid-leave requirements expired at the end of 2020, a new coronavirus relief package extended the refundable employer payroll tax credit for paid sick and family leave through March 2021. Additionally, some states, counties and cities have more-expansive leave mandates that will remain in effect for at least part of 2021. Some states, such as New York, passed permanent paid-leave laws in addition to temporary pandemic-related laws.  
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Health and Safety Requirements. Employers should review guidelines from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and state and local agencies that are meant to keep workers healthy and safe during the pandemic. Employers should note that states may have more-stringent standards. At least 14 states have adopted comprehensive COVID-19 worker safety protections, and some cities also have passed pandemic-related workplace safety ordinances, according to the National Employment Law Project. Employers may see more claims of retaliation from employees who raise health and safety concerns.