Monday, 24 May 2021

Why Arizona Businesses are Promoting Mental Health Awareness

Now, more than ever, Arizona businesses must focus on promoting mental health in the workplace. How does this boost your bottom line and keep employees happy?

Promoting Mental Health Can Boost Your Company’s Bottom Line

After one of the most difficult years in memory, Arizona businesses, no matter their industry, need to redouble their efforts at promoting mental health for their workforce. Why do we say that? Until the upheaval caused by statewide shutdowns, many companies have not even thought about their employees' psychological well-being or how their work environment could negatively affect their attitude and outlook.

But, after a year of working from home or socially distanced working, increasing reports of depression caused by isolation and stress have shown that this view is no longer sustainable. Leaders in all industries and at companies of all sizes now recognize that promoting mental health in the workplace can make their employees more consistently productive, increase their ability to collaborate effectively, and keep them on board and on the job for longer periods. Clearly, promoting mental health amongst employees can have a significant effect on your company’s profitability and bottom line.

Why Promoting Mental Health At Work Matters

The expression, “Attitudes are contagious, make yours worth catching,” is especially true in the workplace. Many of us work full time, spending 40+ hours each week in the same place, interacting with the same people. When you add in travel time to and from work, and time asleep, we spend more time at work than we do with our spouse, family, or friends. Therefore, the atmosphere of your workplace and the nature of the interactions you have with your co-workers are going to have an impact on your mental health, whether positively or negatively. For instance, if your workplace is one of constant negativity, stress, and crisis, and the people you work with and for act oppressively, disrespectfully, or indifferent, it will take its toll on your mental health It can be demoralizing and depressing to work for a company that sees its employees as faceless worker bees, with no value outside of what they get done on any given day.

Companies that foster negative cultures end up losing their most talented employees leaving the people who stay feeling unhappy, unmotivated, and unlikely to perform to their best potential. These “last men standing” are also far more likely to develop mental and physical health issues that result in lost productivity and increased absenteeism. All of this ultimately becomes a drag on a company’s bottom line.

In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), five of the ten leading causes of disability worldwide are mental health-related. This lost productivity costs businesses and the global economy an estimated $1 trillion each year.

Related Reading: Remote Workers: Wellness Initiatives For Employees Working From Home

Signs You May Need To Do A Better Promoting Mental Health In Your Workplace

So, how do you know if your company is promoting a toxic work environment? The WHO identified several workplace risks that have a negative effect on employees’ mental health, including:

Inadequate safety and health policies
Poor management skills and communication practices
Limited opportunities to participate in decision-making or low control over one’s work
Low or non-existent levels of support for employees
A lack of team cohesion and support from management
Inflexibility in working hours, flex-time, and remote work
Bullying and harassment
Unclear tasks or organizational objectives.

The Keys To Promoting Mental Health In Your Workplace

The good news? You can change your company culture. Arizona organizations can build a mentally healthy workplace by laying a foundation of respect, autonomy, participation, and support. To do so, consider some or all of the following adjustments to your company’s policies and approach:

Empower employees by increasing their involvement in decision-making and giving them more job autonomy
Provide flexible work scheduling, flex time, and other policies that help them manage the demands they face both at and away from work
Give employees opportunities for skills development, continuing education, and leadership training
Offer group health insurance plans that help employees optimize their physical and mental health and develop healthy lifestyles, such as stress management, weight-loss, and smoking-cessation programs
Recognize and reward employees both monetarily and non-monetarily through performance-based bonuses and pay increases, profit-sharing, employee awards programs, and genuine expressions of thanks
Establish and support employee assistance programs and provide mental health resources, and ensure that there is no stigma or negative consequences attached to reaching out for help
Offer stress management and time management courses
Deliver mental health interventions as part of an integrated health and well-being strategy that covers prevention, early identification, support, and rehabilitation.
Encourage employees to get enough sleep
Plan fun and stress-relieving activities that build team cohesion and interpersonal connections between your employees
Educate employees about harmful workplace conduct such as bullying, discrimination, and harassment and implement robust policies to handle such behavior and help victimized employees.

The Take-Away: Promoting Mental Health Also Promotes Your Business

If the year 2020 has taught us one thing, it is the importance of self-care and mental health. Are you as a business owner taking the lead in promoting mental health in your company? May 2021 is designated as Mental Health Awareness Month. Take this opportunity to evaluate your business. If you see areas in which your company culture is lacking, take positive steps to implement change. Your employees will be happier, which will increase their productivity, and therefore increase your bottom line.

Southwest Health Insurance Experts: Helping Arizona Businesses And Employees Promote Mental Health For Over 30 Years

One of the most effective, and easiest, ways to promote the mental health of your Arizona employees is to provide an exceptional group health insurance plan with mental health options. At Southwest Health Insurance Experts, we are committed to answering your questions, addressing your concerns, and providing solutions that can keep your company’s most valuable resource - its employees - safe and healthy for years to come. And, with over 30 years of experience in Scottsdale, Phoenix and throughout Arizona, you can be assured that you and your company are in reliable, caring hands.

To obtain a quote and arrange a free consultation to discuss your small business health insurance needs, contact Southwest Health Insurance Experts today.