Beyond Mental Health Awareness: Five Strategies to Promote Employees’ Wellbeing
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Many businesses are taking time to make public statements about the importance of mental health and (hopefully) offer programming to their employees focused on supporting their wellbeing. Of course, the need to address mental health is ongoing, and while the increased visibility in May is important, an annual event is not enough to address the stigma many experience when it comes to mental health- especially mental health in the workplace.
When we feel cared for and cared about, our ability to be creative and innovative is exponentially increased. When employees’ needs are met and their wellbeing supported, they are more productive and they are more likely to stay. If we want to retain our employees, if we want our business to be a leader in our industry, mental health and wellbeing must be a priority and not an afterthought.
When I moved back to Massachusetts in 2013, I was introduced to an organization called the Full Frame Initiative (FFI) “who works with their partners to advance structural change, shift mental models and solve problems through a wellbeing orientation”. FFI addresses the 5 domains of wellbeing, “the set of needs and experiences universally required in combination and balance to weather challenges and have health and hope.” Adopting their framework revolutionized the way our organization, and many others, served survivors and communities. The more I learned about FFI the more I began to see how integrating their philosophy could also transform our workplace culture. In my work with businesses, organizations, school districts, and institutions of higher learning, I use FFI’s framework to create structural and procedural changes to support trauma-informed workplaces where employees and consumers alike can thrive. Below, we list the 5 domains and offer simple and effective strategies you can employ today to support the wellbeing of your employees.
Meaningful Access to Resources: Employees spend a significant portion of their lives working and, in some cases, in the workplace. In physical offices, employers can display local resources that address issues such as domestic violence, sexual assault, and mental health in common spaces such as break rooms and bathrooms. For businesses that are primarily remote, companies can utilize slack channels and other online platforms to routinely share local and national resources to all employees. In all hands meetings and Employee Resource Groups (ERG), speakers can be invited to provide short presentations on these topics and connect directly with your colleagues.
Social Connectedness: How do your employees connect with one another? If we want to create a workplace culture that is transformational rather than transactional, we need to foster and encourage relationship building. And I don’t just mean ice breakers in new hire trainings. What are the ongoing opportunities offered to employees to engage with one another as people, not just as colleagues? Providing a diverse range of activities will help to reach more people- don’t assume that everyone will feel comfortable going to an event at a bar, or that everyone is available and able to meet after working hours. Work with your HR and/or Culture teams to gain insight from employees about what barriers they experience to connect with their colleagues and use that data to inform how you foster social connections.
Mastery: We want our employees to succeed, but how are we setting them up for success? Across every sector I see companies promote employees without providing them with the professional development to allow them to succeed. If we want to promote growth and advancement within the company, provide opportunities for professional development to entry-level employees from the very beginning. Create mentorship programs and invite leadership to share their professional journeys with their employees. Whenever I onboard a new employee I always ask about their goals beyond their current role (or even company). I use this information to provide them with opportunities (conferences, community events, etc.) that help them reach their goals whether it’s at our company or beyond.
Stability: We all crave predictability, especially at work. We want to know what we can expect of our workplace and employer and that we know what is expected of us. We can’t always promise stability, but we can offer transparency when changes may need to be made. Being explicit about how a decision will be made helps employees feel grounded, even when the landscape is constantly changing.
Safety: FFI defines safety as, “The degree to which we can be our authentic selves and not be at heightened risk of physical or emotional harm.” If we want a workplace culture where our employees can feel safe, we need to ask difficult questions and face hard truths. Do all of our employees feel a sense of belonging at our company? Who fears emotional or even physical harm if they bring their authentic self to work? And are our employees safe outside of work? If our employees are unsafe at home, that risk can follow them to the office. The more explicit we can be in addressing safety at work and beyond the more likely an employee will open up if they are in danger- and that increases safety for everyone.
JT Consulting is excited to partner with companies and organizations looking to increase retention and promote employees’ growth and wellbeing. Schedule a call to learn how we can work together.
