The pandemic helped highlight the overwhelming need for more when it comes to mental health. More people who understand it. More people who are open about it. More experts to help others cope with stress. More accessibility to quality mental health resources. Just more. 

When we talk specifically about mental health support in the workplace, it was pushed to the end of the priority list all too often before the pandemic. But, for many, mental health conditions were exasperated during the pandemic, which drastically affected employee productivity. This prompted many company leaders to focus on the importance of a mentally, physically, and emotionally well employee.    

It’s crucial to continue supporting your employees’ mental well-being beyond the end of the pandemic because those living with a mental health issue often do so for their entire lives. The end of a pandemic doesn’t signal the end of their bout with maintaining mental health and wellness. 

HR professionals play a massive role in communicating employee well-being needs to company leaders and ensuring those needs are met with adequate resources and support. This article will help you continue in this role confidently. Here are four ways you can continue to support employee’s mental well-being after the pandemic.

Representation in Leadership Matters

Many people are reluctant to come forward about living with a mental health challenge. They feel that it’ll hurt their chances of getting the job if they’re open about it. But, on the other hand, if they aren’t open about it and end up getting the job, they’ll have to hide what they’re going through.

One way to ensure your current and potential employees come forward with their mental health challenges is through representation. It’s a great idea to hire people in leadership positions navigating mental health challenges and who are open about how they’re doing so. When employees see people in higher positions who are honest about their mental health challenges, it can help them feel safe talking about their own.

Another way to continue your role in supporting employee mental well-being is to become knowledgeable in all things mental health.

Learn as Much as You Can About Mental Health

You can support your employees’ mental well-being a lot better when you’re well-versed in mental health and its effects on people. You must learn as much as you can about mental health and continue that learning indefinitely to show them you’re here for long-term support. 

It’s beneficial to learn not just about mental health in general but about tangible things you can do to better assist employees should another crisis arise that affects their mental health. For instance, in your research, you’ll likely come across psychological first aid (PFA) training as one of those things.

Psychological first aid training is described as teaching “people principles for providing mental support during a disaster response. A PFA volunteer doesn’t take the place of a therapist, psychiatrist or other type of licensed healthcare provider. Instead, they supplement mental healthcare by supporting a person in crisis until professionals arrive.” In other words, becoming certified in psychological first aid will help you identify when someone is in distress and keep them uplifted until they’re ready for the next level of support.

All in all, taking it upon yourself to study mental health ensures you can grasp the broad range of mental health challenges people face. You’ll be able to have empathetic conversations that lead to helpful solutions for your employees navigating life with a mental health challenge, including tailoring their job description and schedule to them. 

Implement Personalized Job Responsibilities and Schedules

Although having a career is a huge part of a person’s life, it’s not the entirety of it. Many people find themselves drained after each workday, and that leads to less and less engagement in their lives outside of work. Not only are they stressed about losing their jobs because of underperforming, but they’re also stressed about losing people and things in their personal lives because they’re unable to pay them the attention they deserve. 

This cycle of stress can be extremely harmful to your employees’ mental health. Fortunately, if you develop a personal relationship with each employee, you can find out about their lives and offer them a role and schedule that compliment it. Each employee’s skill set, professional interests, and personal life should be factored in when determining their job responsibilities and creating a schedule that allows them a better work-life balance. 

Finally, to continue supporting your employees’ mental well-being, you must lead the movement to normalize mental health conversations in the workplace.

Normalize Mental Health Conversations in the Workplace

We’re all familiar with the stigma surrounding mental health. For instance, if you admit you’re living with a mental health condition, you’re crazy. Or, people are shamed for seeing a therapist because “they can’t handle their own problems.” But the pandemic revealed that mental health is much more than handling problems or being labeled crazy.

Millions of people are living with a mental health condition and it’s time we start treating it that way. Normalizing mental health conversations in your workplace can help you create a safe space for employees to explore bettering their mental health. 

Start with entirely positive conversations around mental health with all your employees. Ask for feedback from them to learn about new ways to support and improve employee mental health. Then, use this feedback to develop a benefits package that includes partial or full coverage of mental health services like therapy. Additionally, these open conversations about mental health can lead to the implementation of mental health training for employees to ensure they’re educated on common mental health concerns.

Ultimately, we must change the conversation around mental health to a positive one.    

Conclusion

HR professionals will continue to play a massive role in supporting employees’ mental well-being. Implement the above tips to ensure your employees know your company is committed to them being wholly healthy and supported. 

Noah Rue is a journalist and content writer from Boise, Idaho, US. He is fascinated with the intersection between global health, personal wellness, and modern technology. When he isn’t searching out his next great writing opportunity, Noah likes to shut off his devices and head to the mountains to disconnect.

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