How HR Strategies Can Transform Employee Mental Health

Mental health awareness is increasing in India, with information being more accessible online. This progress has led to substantial improvements in addressing key concerns beyond physical health. People are becoming increasingly open and receptive to mental health discussions, with educational initiatives taking the lead. However, the rising number of mental health challenges, burnout, chronic fatigue, and unfortunate incidents in the corporate workforce serves as a stark reminder that organizations need to implement programs that address these challenges.

Competition is increasing, and AI automation contributes to job insecurity, constant performance pressure, and shifting workplace dynamics that require individuals to adapt continually. Various factors, such as work pressure, societal expectations, and others, contribute to employees experiencing significant stress. Therefore, it is extremely important to focus on the mental well-being of the employees, not just on paper but in practice. 

HR professionals can play an essential role in identifying the red flags and helping mitigate the situation promptly and effectively. This article discusses a few traditional and innovative ways to help HRs take a holistic look at how they can enhance the mental health of employees:

Modify Policies to Focus on Mental Health

Many companies consider mental health issues as less urgent than physical ailments. However, we need to realize that focusing on mental health is more pertinent now than ever. HRs can take a few measures to modify existing policies and introduce new ones:

1. Mental health training for HR managers: The first and foremost on this list is outlining the importance of mental health to managers and supervisors and closely monitoring them to see if there is a visible change in how their subordinates view them. It is also important for HRs to introduce a zero-tolerance policy against stigmas related to mental health conditions to ensure a supportive culture. 

2. Identity and confidentiality protection: HR professionals should ensure company policies protect employees' information. If their mental health issues are treated with the utmost care and sensitivity, employees should feel safe discussing them. 

3. Dedicated leave days: Organizations should establish clear policies for well-being leaves, encouraging employees to avail of these leaves without any guilt. These policies will reinforce a culture that acknowledges and supports mental health

A frequent review of these policies is crucial in the ever-working business landscape to stay aligned with workplace realities.

Create Awareness about Mental Health 

Despite awareness, there still seems to be a lot of stigma and reluctance regarding mental health issues because they are often misunderstood. Thorough knowledge of these stressors can be beneficial in helping employees recognize the early signs of distress not just in themselves but also in others around them. HR professionals can collaborate with psychotherapists and offer employees:

1. Quarterly workshops on stress management and coping mechanisms. Psychotherapists/psychologists should also focus on ways to maintain emotional resilience among employees. 

2. Specialized training for managers to help them support employees going through personal crises. 

3. Simulated scenarios to help employees practice responding to stressful situations healthily and effectively. 

4. Interactive e-learning modules to improve mental health can benefit remote and global employees who reap the benefits of such initiatives. 

These training programs should aim to normalize mental health conversations, encourage employees to express themselves, and raise their concerns with relevant stakeholders so that they can seek help from available company resources. 

Effectively Implement Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs)

Many organizations have a policy of EAP aimed at providing confidential support services to employees, including counseling, therapy referrals, and mental wellness resources. However, the presence of EAPs isn’t enough. HR professionals and representatives should proactively promote its usage by:

1. Running regular email campaigns emphasizing the EAP benefits 

2. Offering it virtually and in person

3. Normalizing its use by getting leadership to share their struggles

4. Tracking metrics to assess effectiveness and make necessary improvements.

Such programs aim to create a culture that welcomes and encourages people to be candid about their stress and seek help to solve those problems without fear of judgment. 

Emphasize Work-life Balance in Reality 

Many companies claim to ensure work-life balance, leave days, and prioritize employees, but what is the reality? The reality is the opposite in a few companies that involuntarily give way to the ‘burnout culture'—the culture that encourages working weekends, extra hours of work that translate into recognition, and the unsaid expectation to carry your laptops around even during vacations because what if someone needs some data that only they have? These expectations, although unsaid, leave a lasting impact and lead to anxiety, stress, and eventually disengagement. HR representatives can prevent this by taking a few measures:

1. Encouraging flexible schedules and working from remote locations (keeping the organization's security and data in mind and taking measures to make this happen will be helpful) can encourage people to work in their comfort zone. 

2. Outlining and setting clear boundaries: Removing the unsaid expectation to respond to work messages and emails after hours will help achieve this. This can only be helpful if top management demonstrates this behavior and discourages the hustle culture. 

3. Enforcing a 'no meeting day’ once a week allows employees to focus on tasks without distractions. 

4. Creating fair systems where workload is equally distributed within the team without putting extra burden on one person. 

HR personnel must continue working with managers and employees to detect signs of employee distress and mitigate the issue before it becomes a crisis. HRs can also do this by conducting regular surveys that ask specific questions, allowing room for open-ended responses, and observing changes in the patterns of the employees' responses to detect red flags and create better wellness programs and policies for the organizations. 

However, all these measures are futile if the work culture is not supportive and the organization does not support open dialogue. Sometimes, fundamental measures, such as organizing fitness classes, retreats, family days, and off-site, can significantly boost employee morale. Several AI tools, ranging from sentiment analysis to VR hubs in the office, can prove beneficial at any stage of employee wellness programs. 

HR professionals can effectively contribute to mental wellness initiatives through a multi-pronged approach rather than a linear one, creating space for employees to thrive and not just survive.