Things Companies Can Do To Help Employee Mental Health
Apr 24, 2024Covid brought mental health to the forefront of every organization. I want to share some of the things I have seen companies do to support employee mental health. Not only are these good things to do, they are good for business. Every company I mention below is killing it, so it's a competitive advantage as much as the right thing to do. So, if you don't feel appreciated at work, check them out, life is too short to be miserable.
No Internal Meeting days
Meetings are a necessary evil, and collaboration is important, but left unchecked, they are largely responsible for the collective burnout we feel as a society. The purpose of meetings is to discuss work, meaning that no work gets done during them. By giving your team space on a weekly basis to actually focus on their work, you will find they can get more done and not have to work outside of normal hours.
Companies Doing this: AppDynamics, Noyo
Company Wide Mental Health Days
This has exploded in popularity recently. This top down practice shows a commitment to employee well being. More importantly, this opens up the conversation and reality around mental health and burnout. Allowing the conversation to happen is critical to make progress in changing the stigma.
Companies Doing this.: Cisco, 6senseInc, HubSpot, Fidelity
Provide Educational Opportunities
My personal experience is that I waited until it was too late to get help. By offering proactive educational opportunities, companies can get ahead of the problem, or help people who are afraid to speak up. These sessions help people not feel alone and know there are things they can do to get better. Also, I know a guy....
Mental health is a complicated issue, these are a few things to try but it wont fix everything. Small steps are the way to progress so I hope this helps. Are there other companies that are getting this right, or other ideas? Comment below I would love to know.