This May, join Flex HR in acknowledging the importance of mental health in the workplace. Not sure where to start? We’ve compiled a list of five strategies that HR teams can implement today!

1. Review the accessibility of your mental health benefits. Perhaps the most obvious strategy starts with offering mental health benefits. However, even when visits are covered in traditional insurance plans, long waitlists for covered therapists can impact access to those services. Companies can get creative by offering an EAP (Employee Assistance Plan), or better yet, by subsidizing one of the many online or telehealth services for easily accessible therapy. Since these online services are often not covered by insurance, subsidizing costs for employees can make a huge impact.
2. Encourage Employee Resource Groups focused on mental health. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are employee-created and employee-led networks that focus on shared experiences, advocacy, and learning. They are a great way for employees to connect to others in the organization, both colleagues who have similar experiences as well as those who want to advocate for them. A mental health ERG serves as a safe space for sharing and storytelling and can be enhanced by inviting licensed experts or speakers to facilitate discussions.
3. Create policies that support mental well-being. Employers can demonstrate their commitment to mental health by developing policies that reinforce its importance. Some policies to consider:

 

• Mental health PTO: No matter how your PTO is structured, emphasize the availability of time off for mental health. Offering paid time off specifically for mental health, separate from existing vacation or sick leave policies, signals that it’s ok to take a break when feeling overwhelmed. If you offer unlimited PTO, make sure employees know that time off to focus on mental wellness is an acceptable use of this benefit. Try this out in May in honor of mental health awareness!
• Flexible work arrangements. It’s easy to get burnt out, especially when managing competing priorities at home and at work. Support employees by offering flexible work schedules, like a hybrid arrangement, or even scheduled “in-office” hours that support the ability to drop off and pick up children from school. This recognizes that employees have lives outside of work and prevents the stress that comes with balancing both personal and professional demands.
• Comprehensive leave policies. It’s becoming more common for employers to expand the breadth of paid leave policies. It’s an industry standard to offer some level of paid disability and paid parental leave. But what if really want to stand out? Consider increasing the length of time for bereavement leave, offering leave to families who have experienced a miscarriage, or even offering paid sabbaticals for employees who reach a certain tenure.
• Time for movement. There’s no doubt that moving your body can have an immediate impact on mental well-being. Take it from us at Flex HR! This month, we are offering employees a step challenge for some healthy competition, a nature scavenger hunt, and an outdoor park walk followed by smoothie bowls for lunch. Build in time for employees to get fresh air or movement through scheduled wellness challenges, or designated movement days each month.

 

4. Designate “meeting-free” days. Whether company-wide or within a team, designate a particular day of the week or month as a “meeting-free” day. Having a day to completely focus on the work that needs to get done without rushing in and out of meetings can greatly impact productivity and help employees feel accomplished. This feeling of accomplishment can positively influence mental health and reduce the stress caused by a never-ending to-do list.
5. Bring the outside expertise in. While mental health at work can often be addressed by internal changes, it can also be helpful to bring in the experts. Offering a monthly yoga class to employees, inviting a Reiki practitioner into the office, or having a licensed therapist available in-house can make a meaningful difference. If that’s not affordable for your team, leverage the expertise of your employees. You never know – you might already have an Ayurveda practitioner or licensed Yogi in your ranks!

Flex HR can help your team prioritize mental health by building policies and practices that benefit your workforce. Reach out to our team of experts today to learn more!