“The Economic Cost of Poor Employee Mental Health” examines the significant economic costs associated with poor employee mental health. It highlights that mental health issues can lead to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, and higher healthcare expenses, ultimately impacting overall organizational performance.
Poor mental health costs employers billions each year due to decreased productivity and increased healthcare claims. Organizations need to recognize and address these issues to mitigate financial losses. Investing in mental health support can enhance employee wellbeing, leading to a more engaged and productive workforce. Companies should implement proactive mental health initiatives, such as providing access to mental health resources, promoting a supportive work environment, and fostering open discussions about mental health. Read additional thoughts from Julius Thomas, M.S. about what Optimal Performance is doing to help teams integrate mental health prevention into their organizational ecosystems:
Effectively measuring the impact of employee mental health on productivity and performance can be quite challenging. This difficulty isn’t the fault of companies; rather, it stems from the complex interconnection between wellbeing and performance in our brains. Chronic stressors, mood challenges, dissatisfaction with workplace culture, and poor working conditions all exert downward pressure on performance. In my experience, the best way for corporate teams to gauge employee mental wellbeing is simply to ask them. Employers should dedicate resources to create spaces where employees can communicate their mental health challenges. Gathering direct feedback from employees about their stressors provides valuable information that leaders can use to implement positive changes in mental health support.
Preventing mental health challenges is the most effective way to reduce absenteeism and boost employee engagement. Research clearly shows that depression, anxiety, burnout, and stressful working conditions significantly impact employee performance. Leaders have the opportunity to cultivate working environments that minimize the risk of developing mental health issues. Many outside the field of psychology may not recognize the powerful role that healthy environments play in alleviating mental health burdens. Furthermore, only 3% of American adults meet the weekly recommendations for a healthy lifestyle. Teams looking to alleviate productivity strains related to mental health can proactively support their employees by fostering healthy work environments and providing wellness education. Importantly, these efforts are foundational to creating high-performing teams. Enhancing the mental wellbeing of teams leads to a win-win for both performance and wellbeing.
Boosting employee mental health presents a realistic challenge for leaders, who must determine effective strategies that fit within their teams’ busy schedules. Additionally, understanding mental health and moderating its effects in a corporate setting often falls outside of their training. Emphasizing wellbeing is difficult and creates a complex challenge for today’s leaders. With these considerations in mind, Optimal Performance has developed a strategy to support teams through long-term consulting. We engage with leadership to identify and design the most effective ways to integrate mental health prevention into their organizational ecosystem. Each organization is unique, with its own specific demands. Our process involves understanding the environmental needs of our clients and empowering them with mental health expertise to build tailored preventative strategies. We avoid a one-size-fits-all approach, instead developing customized strategies based on performance fundamentals such as motivation, stress management, enhanced communication, wellness education, and a high-performance mindset.
From our extensive experience working with thousands of corporate employees, the primary concern expressed by team members is a feeling of not being heard. Many employees report a lack of connection to their work environments, insufficient appreciation, and a lack of personal recognition. Individuals consistently mention limited opportunities to share their challenges with leadership, and when they do, their feedback often goes unaddressed. Given that many corporate employees identify their workplace as a significant source of mental stress, it is time to listen and take action. Mental health challenges are rising dramatically among generations in the workplace, and this trend will likely continue to lead to lost productivity and performance for companies that do not proactively address these issues in their environments.
Mental Performance Monday
- Click here to watch Episode 1 Narratives.
Upcoming Appearances
- Julius will be speaking at Compass Real Estate’s Charleston RETREAT on Wednesday, November 13th.