{"id":3134,"date":"2021-11-15T15:24:10","date_gmt":"2021-11-15T07:24:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.hk\/blog\/?p=3134"},"modified":"2021-12-17T11:04:19","modified_gmt":"2021-12-17T03:04:19","slug":"3-ways-you-can-advocate-for-your-employees-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.hk\/blog\/3-ways-you-can-advocate-for-your-employees-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"3 ways you can advocate for your employees’ mental health"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hong Kong\u2019s frenetic work culture is not a secret, but poor workplace mental health tends to be. Despite the fact that an <\/span>estimated 1 in 7 people in the SAR will experience a common mental disorder at any given time<\/span><\/a>, mental health is a highly stigmatized issue in the workplace and seeking help is often perceived as a sign of weakness. As suffering in silence doesn\u2019t help anyone – neither employees, employers, or society at large – this <\/span>Pacific Prime Hong Kong<\/span><\/a> article gives you three ways to advocate for your employees\u2019 mental health and create a positive workplace culture as a result.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Company<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Destigmatize mental health in the workplace<\/span><\/h2>\n

In the workplace, there\u2019s an unspoken rule: keep emotions out of the workplace. But employees are humans at the end of the day and can\u2019t magically forget their issues the minute they clock into work. Perhaps a working mum is facing separation anxiety from her newborn? Or a Gen Z\u2019er is struggling to keep up with student loan repayments? What about someone who is suffering from relationship issues, substance abuse, and spiralling on the inside? Or maybe it\u2019s the work culture that\u2019s causing excessive stress?<\/span><\/p>\n

Expecting your employees to keep all of their emotions bottled up inside is unhealthy and leads to a toxic workplace environment. What\u2019s more, employees will eventually crack as they can\u2019t keep this facade going on forever. Whether it\u2019s through absenteeism or presenteeism, you\u2019ll likely see their productivity and performance decline. The solution isn\u2019t always to ask your employees to resign, as a high turnover rate can also negatively impact your organization\u2019s bottom line and reputation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, what is an employer to do? The first step to dealing with employee mental health issues in the workplace is to recognize that emotions are the core of employees\u2019 state of mind, which has a direct spillover effect on their productivity and performance. As such, don\u2019t try to stifle emotions or brush aside poor mental health. Instead, aim to destigmatize mental health in the workplace through policies and initiatives such as these:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  • Adopting an open-door policy that\u2019s free from judgment, and leading your organization with empathy<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Understanding the signs of poor mental health so you know what to look out for in struggling employees<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Training managers on how to conduct employee check-ins in a sensitive and effective manner<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Changing the tone of how people in the organization discuss mental health, and making mental health a regular part of communications\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • And more.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    2. Create an environment that is conducive to discussions\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

    Even after you destigmatize mental health in the workplace and implement the above policies and initiatives, it\u2019s not always the case that you\u2019ll be able to help struggling employees. You need to be aware that prioritizing mental health is an on-going process and not a one-time event. You can\u2019t expect change by simply paying lip-service to mental health. As such, focus on creating an environment that\u2019s conducive to discussions about mental health. Here are some ways you can get the conversation going:<\/span><\/p>\n

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    • Encouraging leaders and managers to initiative conversations (either on social media platforms like LinkedIn or in-person at the office) about their own challenges<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Bringing in guest speakers and mental health experts to run workshops on various mental health topics\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Utilizing company newsletters to bring awareness to mental health topics<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Investing in diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives to create a welcoming environment for all<\/span><\/li>\n
    • And more.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Ideas for diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

      If you’re looking to implement diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives, these ones are a good place to start:<\/span><\/p>\n