The month of October is being observed as World Mental Health month. This year’s theme, ‘make mental health and well-being for all a global priority,’ was chosen to address the inequalities exposed by the COVID-19 Pandemic and its impact on people’s mental health globally. It supports the urgent call for global action to prioritize mental health and address inequitable social determinants. Affordable and accessible mental health services must be ensured at the community level so that no one is left behind. Indeed, mental health for all is a global imperative and the need to address raise awareness around the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health is an important way forward. This is the second part in a series on workplace mental health as a Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) issue.
Mental health as a DEI issue
Mental health and DEI are not mutually exclusive. In the current VUCA (Volatility Uncertainty Complexity Ambiguity) context, conversations around mental health from a DEI perspective have become central to the future of work.
To truly embrace diversity and create a culture of inclusion is to offer support for people facing mental health challenges. Members of every diversity strand, especially those from historically underrepresented communities, often face oppression due to the various intersectionalities compounded by the stigma associated with mental health conditions.
Mental health is an invisible disability and an invisible dimension of diversity. People with mental health conditions often do not self-identity (low levels of awareness on mental health) and fear disclosure because of its negative repercussions on their employment, career, and social life.
This is where organisations need to create Safe Inclusive Supportive Affirmative Workspaces responsive to mental health issues through a DEI framework. Mental health at work, like DEI, must be approached intentionally, proactively, and consistently across an organization’s policies and practices, as well as intersectionality to centre underrepresented voices within the broader conversation of workplace mental health.
The business case for workplace mental health
It is encouraging to note that across the world, organizations openly acknowledge that prioritizing workplace mental health is non-negotiable to ensure employee well-being across the organization and the sustainability of businesses.
Employee mental health has emerged as one of the top HR priorities for employers with nearly all companies identifying stress and burnout as a threat for their workforces, according to a survey by WTW (Willis Towers Watson, WTW), a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company.
According to a survey (2022) by WTW
- Nearly all (86%) of employers said that mental health, stress and burnout are a top priority
- However, half (49%) have not yet formally articulated a wellbeing strategy for their workforce and only a quarter have already articulated and adopted a wellbeing strategy.
“As stress and burnout levels continue to climb amid the ongoing pandemic, employers are putting the overall wellbeing of their employees at the top of their list,” said Regina Ihrke, senior director, Health, and Benefits, WTW. “The organizations that most effectively move the needle are those that develop a comprehensive strategy that supports all aspects of their employees’ wellbeing. It is also important to articulate that strategy to employees, conduct manager training and measure effectiveness.”
The survey identified the top two actions respondents plan to take in 2022 or are considering for 2023 to improve employee wellbeing in each of the following four categories: emotional, physical, social and financial wellbeing.
The role of the organization
It is incumbent on every employer to proactively identify work-related causes of mental health stress and reduce and ameliorate them through need-based interventions through institutional and cultural change that are context sensitive and culturally appropriate. Creating a culture of affirmative and supportive workplace mental health is every one’s responsibility—from CEOs and C-suite executives to HR professionals and lien managers.
In addition, creating access to professional services through making available resources and benefits for employees who need professional support is also part of the solution. Such informed action steps to address workplace mental health paves the way for a healthier and happier workplace and robust and resilient businesses that thrive and flourish.
