From monitoring employee health to assessing quality of life in the corporate space, we’ve rounded up tips for bosses and companies
With cases of burnout and mental exhaustion rising within companies, experts say there’s a need to rethink company culture. It’s a difficult task, but this preventative work can reduce stress symptoms, resignations and even reduce excessive absences due to medical leaves.
From monitoring employee health to assessing quality of life in the corporate space, we’ve gathered tips to help leaders and organizations review their conduct and promote a healthier environment.
Check out some expert tips below:
1. Have metrics to monitor mental and emotional health
Most large companies and multinationals have a well-thought-out design to get closer to employees. As part of the annual evaluation, understanding how the job is going and the employee’s relationship with demands is nothing new. Now, many organizations understand that it is necessary to also investigate how the person is doing emotionally, leaving behind isolated analyses.
“Performance reviews have become stronger over the years. But this has started to harm people’s mental health, because performance reviews can generate more stress, competition and exhaustion,” comments Camila Magalhães, psychiatrist and co- founder of Caliandra Saúde Mental, a company specializing in mental health solutions and leadership training.
To develop psychologically safe places, it is important to have some structured mechanisms in organizations:
- Well-trained leaders
- Monthly monitoring of the organizational climate
- Metrics on the individual’s relationship with work (how it is going, how he sees what is going well and what the problems are)
- Mental Health Planning and Policy Commissions
2. Periodic monitoring of employee health
According to Camila Magalhães, employees need to be given real warning that they will not be punished or suffer any kind of retaliation if they show signs of illness.
“In Brazil, we have a culture that prevents employees from speaking up. They just let it happen, when they can’t take it anymore, they find another job or ask to leave. This makes people imagine that work is not a place for ( talking about mental health) ) because you could lose your job”, assesses the psychiatrist.
To reverse this logic of thought, the recommendation is to periodically map the employee’s situation. This monitoring can be done through leader-subordinate conversations, during periodic reviews, or organizational climate surveys.
3. The company’s practices must be the same as its speech
The emotional quality of employees also depends on how the company combines speech and attitude. If you see a divergence between the company’s mission and what is practiced, people may no longer identify with the company.
“For example, the leader can say: ‘Every Friday I will be open to anyone who wants to talk to me, just make an appointment. Having this clear communication means having transparency and well-established channels,'” says the psychiatrist referring to an organization with clear and respecting the rules can create a more solid relationship with employees.
Basically, does the company have a safe space for people to make mistakes? If you make a mistake, will you be able to verbalize it?
“The right thing to do is to have this safe space because the employee will be able to correct any mistakes. If you missed the deadline and had an impact on the team, you will only know if there is feedback,” he explains.
In these situations, leadership must be prepared to invite the person for a one-on-one conversation and give them space to express themselves.
4. Adopt concrete and practical measures to improve the quality of life
Balancing professional and personal life with activities that individuals consider essential to quality of life helps maintain mental health. Companies can encourage this by rethinking the working model.
Readjusting the number of hours in a given sector is a strategy. “To have a quality of life on an individual level, we must balance sleep, appetite, exercise and work,” suggests psychiatrist Camila Magalhães.
5. Leaders need to be trained to manage employee health
After all, how should a boss address mental health issues at work when they themselves may be experiencing related issues?
“People often say that the leader has to identify the problem, take action and so on, but he has never been trained for this. So he has to talk to different leaders and find out from them what they want, because they often have difficult issues and situations to deal with” , says Magalhães.
These mechanisms become important so that managers know what to say, understand the role they play in the company and what to do when they don’t feel comfortable addressing a topic.
According to her, the leader must be ready to notice when an employee is unwell. But to do this you need to be trained by the company to guarantee a minimum capacity.
The psychiatrist says that treatment and prevention of suffering at work is essential for a solid culture in the corporate environment and to reduce the company’s financial losses.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
