Supporting employee mental health should be easy, affordable, and effective.
Addressing mental health in the workplace can feel daunting without a clear idea of what that kind of support your employees need. It’s important for companies to understand the benefits, outcomes, and potential barriers – and have a plan that’s easy to follow, strategies that are adaptable, and results that are effective.
Our approach to workplace mental health addresses all of these areas – and more – by delivering strategies and solutions from the top down and from the inside out, empowering leaders and teams to grow and maintain strong mental health support from within.
Why are employers addressing mental health in the workplace?
The benefits of integrating mental health support into the workplace are far-reaching. While some benefits are directly quantifiable – such as increased productivity and decreased employee retention costs – others are more systemic and cultural, such as enhanced employee retention and the ability to attract better talent.
Let’s break it down into two main categories:
How employers are benefiting:
- Improved Productivity: Addressing and actively supporting mental health in the workplace can lead to increased productivity and help reduce burnout. Team members become more engaged and motivated with an increased sense of purpose and awareness of their own psychological safety. Employees can work with more confidence knowing that they have the support of their employer and peers.
- Reduced Absenteeism: Improved mental health can significantly reduce levels of absenteeism and presenteeism, saving the company in lost time attributed to poor mental health. 40% of Canadian employees reported taking time off due to mental health concerns in the last five years. (Benefits Canada, 2023)
- Employee Retention: Creating a supportive workplace environment can significantly increase employee retention and reduce turnover costs. An entry-level employee costs roughly between 30% and 50% of their annual salary to replace, with a mid-level employee turnover costing >150% their annual salary, and a high-level or highly specialized employee costing approximately 400% of their annual salary to replace. (Simply Benefits, 2020)
- Enhanced Company Reputation: Companies that prioritize mental health are viewed as desirable places to work, attracting quality talent and positive attention. Over 80% of job applicants rate “mental health support” or “supportive work culture” as one of their top desirables when searching for employment. (BCG, 2023)
- Reduced Healthcare Costs: Consistent mental health support can lead to fewer health insurance claims, saving on healthcare costs over the long term.
- Legal Compliance: Proactive attention to mental health can help meet legal and ethical obligations to provide a safe and healthy workplace. Occupational Health & Safety regulations include specific language and guidelines that require employers to foster and maintain psychologically safe workplaces.
How employees are benefiting:
- Improved Mental Wellbeing: Employees benefit from improved mental health overall, leading to enhanced personal satisfaction, confidence, and interpersonal relations.
- Better Work/Life Balance: Addressing mental health promotes a healthier work/life balance, empowering employees with a better understanding of how to attain it, reduce stress, manage workload, and employing strategies to avoid burnout.
- Increased Job Satisfaction: Employees are likely to feel more satisfied and engaged in their jobs when they feel their employer is supportive of their mental health.
- Improved Relationships: A focus on mental health can improve relationships both within the workplace and in employees’ personal lives.
- Enhanced Performance: Improving and maintaining mental health can result in increased focus, creativity, and overall job performance.
- Healthier Workplace Culture: A workplace that supports mental health contributes to a culture of respect and inclusivity.
Getting Started.
VĪV Mental Health has a concise, easy-to-follow mental health framework that adapts to any company, regardless of size or industry.
- Consultation: All we need is a quick overview of your company to get us pointed in the right direction. We can build upon the supports that your company may have in place already – such as employee benefits and wellness initiatives – and we can suggest a few strategies that can be easily implemented right away. Most preliminary consultations take less than an hour and we’ll answer any questions that you may have. Click to find out more about our business consulting services today!
- Engagement: Providing effective support to others requires a proper understanding of needs, desired outcomes, and potential barriers. Employee surveys are great – but do they ask the right questions? Are they being utilized? Are there proper avenues for employees to communicate the supports they require? We have a number of different methods that we can use to engage with employees and leadership, and we’ll work with you to determine the most effective approach. Interactive presentations, workshops, concise surveys, and lunch-and-learn’s allow employees to have a say in how they’re supported – all facilitated by a certified psychological and safety advisor who can unpack mental health wellness safely, compassionately, and concisely.
- The Messenger Matters: We know that messaging around mental health is important, but for communication to be meaningful and effective it needs to come from the right source. Some teams respond best to new information by having it presented with a fresh voice; others appreciate direction from their own leadership and peers. Factors like diversity, demographics, and expertise are all important things to consider when providing mental health education and support. VIV Mental Health can help train and build mental health champions from within, as well as provide a fresh, outside perspective to maximize the effectiveness of important mental health concepts.Are you in the trades and construction industry? Click to learn more about mental health training and support designed specifically for the trades.
- Strategy Development: Successful strategies are born from thoughtful, focused planning – and that’s where VĪV comes in. We take pride in being able to customize our workplace mental health strategies for every client we work with, leaving plenty of room to adapt to any changes in the company or personnel, and allows for easy integration with existing initiatives. We’ll present your leadership team with various options for short-term and long-term employee support – just leave the heavy lifting to us. Click to learn more about our workplace mental health strategies.
- Training and Education: Our interactive workplace mental health training is designed to adapt to each client and their teams. Gone are the days of boring presentations and dry material – our presentations engage attendees with practical knowledge and interactive elements that allow participants to learn in a hands-on, safe, and inclusive environment where they will be encouraged to offer their own insights on the concepts being discussed. Click to find out more about our employee and leadership training.
- Implementation, assessment, and adjustments: As we enhance existing workplace supports, provide awareness and education, and implement best practices, it’s crucial to maintain consistency and have the ability – and willingness – to adjust. We work to ensure that our clients and their teams are fully supported and set up for short-term and long-term success through consultation, data analysis, and training. No more Band-Aid fixes and checkboxes: our framework is built to last.Are you a small business looking to better support the mental health of your employees? Click to find out how VIV Mental Health supports small businesses easily and affordably.