Impact of Mental Health Awareness on Employee Retention
Understanding the Link Between Mental Health Awareness and Employee Retention
Mental health awareness and employee retention go hand in hand. Feeling understood and supported by management increases the likelihood of employee’s remaining within a business. Businesses with an increased awareness and understanding of mental health difficulties promote a culture of acceptance and authenticity. Not surprisingly, employees who feel that they are treated with compassion are more likely to feel heard and valued, and perform better. Employees who feel accepted are more likely to be honest about any difficulties they are experiencing with regards to mental health, allowing for a preventative approach towards mental health and reducing absenteeism.
Studies have shown that an open culture of discussing mental health leads to improvements in staff morale. In a study conducted by the Harvard Business Review, 73% of employees felt able to bring their “whole selves” to work when they believed their workplace took mental health seriously. Furthermore, businesses that implemented mental health initiatives retained 11% more staff. Studies have also report that as much as 70% of workplace productivity can be attributed to mental wellbeing. Businesses that want to increase innovation and productivity in their workplace should therefore prioritise promoting a culture of acceptance and understanding.
At PMAC we understand the importance of building a healthy working environment – that’s why our trainings are bespoke. We deliver to YOUR team. We pride ourselves on equipping your workforce with strategies they can implement with ease. When you take care of your employees, they take care of your business.
Benefits of Investing in Mental Health Awareness for Employee Retention
Investing in mental health awareness training can improve employee retention. Increased retention rates saves companies time and money that would otherwise be spent on recruitment. Mental health awareness training can improve communication, collaboration and problem-solving skills, and increase the trust within a team. With this comes an improvement in staff morale, which in turn increases productivity and so forth. Investment in mental health awareness ultimately allows companies to run more efficiently than those without this support and understanding for employees, helping businesses to succeed.
Mental health awareness training also increases the self-awareness of employees. Employees who understand themselves, are able to recognise when they are struggling, and who feel empowered and capable to take control of their wellbeing, are better equipped to achieve their potential. Having positive coping strategies to reply upon, employees will be in a better position to navigate workplace stressors as they arise and to feel driven and motivated to overcome challenges, rather than feel overwhelmed by them. Individuals who attend our mental health awareness training will also learn how and when to access additional support, and be proactive in seeking this.
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Strategies for Implementing Mental Health Awareness Programs
Initiatives focussed on nurturing a culture of understanding, empathy and inclusion, strengthen the relationship between employees and employers. But how do companies go about implementing such initiatives, and where do they start?
1. Educate Employees About Mental Health
Offer employees training that provides up-to-date understandings with regards to mental health. This may include understanding depression, anxiety and stress as examples, though may also include resilience. Offer information and resources that are easy to access, such as articles and online videos, and circulate these within your teams. Create a culture of openness and acceptance with regards to mental health difficulties, to allow communication to flow. Safe and open discussions of the lived impact of mental health difficulties can foster understanding, so lead by example!
2. Provide Resources for Mental Wellbeing
Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) promote mental health and wellbeing. EAPs can include gym memberships, yoga classes and mindfulness sessions at discounted rates. EAPs can also offer counselling and therapy services, including helplines. Many of these are free for employees to access. Having an EAP and ensuring that employees have access to any information they need to use this, can improve autonomy and independence, and reduce barriers to accessing support that may exist otherwise.
3. Create Opportunities For Self-Care
Encourage your team members to prioritize self-care. Provide opportunities for staff to take regular breaks, offer flexible working to improve work-life balance, and offer wellbeing activities that staff can get involved in e.g. walk and talk meetings, mindfulness sessions at lunch. Allowing staff to take time out to tend to their wellbeing without fear of judgement or consequence, will increase trust and loyalty. Both of these are essential for improving employee retention. Additionally: lead by example. Cultures within businesses are often created and maintained from the top-down. If you and your leadership team demonstrate a commitment to self-care and wellbeing by openly engaging in initiatives, you inadvertently give permission to your employees to do the same.
4. Offer Support Through Mentorship Programs
Consider setting up mentorship programs to provide guidance and support to new recruits. Particularly for employees who struggle with their mental health, this may help them to adjust and improve satisfaction. Offering regular opportunities for employees to provide feedback and discuss any challenges related to their roles that are negatively impacting their wellbeing, will demonstrate your committment to your employees. In fostering these working relationships, you can nurture the resilience of your teams, increase job satisfaction, motivation and productivity, and observe an improvement in results!
Assessing the Impact of Mental Health Awareness on Employee Retention
When evaluating the impact of mental health awareness on employee retention, organizations should consider the effects of stress-related costs on business operations. The cost associated with reduced productivity, absenteeism and turnover can be significant, and should be taken into account when assessing overall ROI from mental health initiatives. Organizations should also take into account potential reputational costs associated with not actively supporting employees’ mental wellbeing. This is of particular importance as recent studies have shown that many young workers prioritize organizational values when choosing where to work.
It is also important for organizations to consider how their approach to mental health awareness may influence perceptions of their brand among current and prospective clients. Organizations seen as proactive in promoting mental wellbeing could gain long-term benefits from increased public trust, both financially and when recruiting.
Assessing the impact of mental health awareness on employee retention is essential for creating a successful business, maintaining high levels of morale and productivity across teams; but this is not a one-time job. Organizations should regularly evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives designed to promote better mental wellbeing among its staff members if they hope to build a workforce that is happy, engaged, and willing to stick around for years to come.
How Improved Mental Health Awareness Leads to Higher Levels of Job Satisfaction and Commitment
Employees who are aware of the risks associated with mental health issues are more likely to be proactive in supporting and maintaining their wellbeing. They are more likely to engage in check-ins with managers or mentors, attend wellbeing training sessions, and seek professional support such as therapy. This increased self-awareness helps employees to remain in work and navigate challenges, rather than result in absenteeism. Engaging in mental health awareness training will also teach your employees strategies to manage with stress and anxiety in the workplace, leading to improved engagement with tasks, performance and increased job satisfaction. Furthermore, this increase in motivation and performance can improve self-esteem and confidence. A confident workforce is a productive workforce.
When employers display an awareness and a committment to the mental health and wellbeing of staff, it sends a message about their dedication to their eomployees. Providing employee benefits geared towards improving mental health such as flexible working hours, access to adequate rest breaks, access to outside counseling services, or even an onsite gym membership – all communicates to employees that they are valued, and that they matter. A supportive work environment that acknowledges that challenges exist, and that these can impact performance, nurtures accountability and personal responsibility to look after yourself.
Job Expectations
Improved mental health awareness also leads to better communication around job expectations, allowing staff members to understand how their roles fit into the bigger picture of the organisation’s goals. A clear understanding of role expectations enables individuals to see how they can contribute meaningfully while also taking into account any personal needs that may arise in order to ensure overall wellbeing. This encourages strong commitment from staff members towards meeting organisational objectives while ensuring proper self-care measures are taken for sustained performance over time.
In conclusion, improved mental health awareness leads to higher levels of job satisfaction and commitment among employees which positively impacts employee retention rates for organisations. By creating an environment centred around employee wellbeing through initiatives such as flexible hours or access to external counselling services – organisations can ensure mental health remains a key focus amongst staff members while enhancing job satisfaction simultaneously.
Turning Increased Knowledge of Mental Health Into a Competitive Advantage For Your Organisation
As organisations strive for success, the ability to retain talented employees is critical. Mental health awareness has become an increasingly pertinent issue in the workplace, and businesses that promote mental health literacy have a competitive advantage when it comes to employee retention, keeping employees motivated and engaged in their work.
The first step to incorporating mental health awareness into an organisation’s strategy is education. Investing in training sessions on mental health topics such as stress management, depression, anxiety, and well-being can help employees gain insight into how they can better manage their own mental health. Educating managers on how they can support their teams’ mental wellbeing is equally important – giving them the skills and confidence they need to create a positive work environment that encourages employees to bring their best selves to work every day.
Management Benefits
Once managers are better equipped with this knowledge, they can be proactive about creating policies that reinforce a positive culture where everyone feels supported. These measures include ensuring that workloads are fair and manageable; providing regular performance feedback; offering flexible working arrangements; and creating opportunities for team building exercises outside of the office. Having these policies in place not only helps create a pleasant atmosphere at work, but also demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to its people’s wellbeing – which in turn makes it more attractive for other professionals who are looking for employers that value mental health literacy.
At PMAC we understand the importance of having robust strategies for employee retention in place. Our Mental Health Awareness Training Program offers comprehensive sessions designed to provide both employees and managers with the skills needed to build psychological resilience within organisations. Our goal is to empower organisations with evidence-based practices they can use, not only to foster greater workplace collaboration, but also encourage an open dialogue around mental health issues so everyone feels heard and understood – resulting in happier, more productive teams.
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