Mental Health at Work

This May during Mental Health Month is a time to reflect on how different aspects of our lives can affect our own mental health. Mental Health Awareness has really grown in recent years, helping to uplift and support the 50 million US adults that suffer from some form of mental illness. That’s upwards of approximately 20% of today’s working Americans. Therefore, support and awareness must also come from business and employers to help their employees and staff that face mental health challenges whether on a daily basis or for a period of time. 

To start, employers should work to reduce stress and fatigue in the workplace while also becoming a key place for resources, solutions, and activities designed to improve overall mental health and well-being. For example, employers that provide access to coping and resiliency resources or employ leave flexibilities without penalty have decreased stress levels in the workplace. Not only does increasing mental health positively affect your employee’s well-being, it also positively affects their performance, productivity, work engagement, communication and overall daily functioning at work. 

Additionally, there are also some things employers are required to do by law to try and maintain positive mental health in the workplace. For example, under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), health plans offered by employers that cover mental health or substance use benefits cannot impose more restrictions on those benefits than what generally applies to comparable medical or surgical benefits. Secondly, under the FMLA, covered employers must provide up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave to eligible employees. These are just a few of the many legal contracts’ employers must uphold to not discriminate against and support employees with mental health concerns. 

However, it’s important to keep in mind that just because you haven’t been diagnosed with a clinical mental health disorder does not mean you have great mental health. While some well-known conditions can be chronic and on-going, we can also have adverse mental health symptoms in response to events in our everyday lives that drag us down. If you or someone you know is experiencing adverse mental health just know that it won’t last if you take the right steps to heal your mind and make positive changes in your life. 

To learn more about the Mental Health Month, reach out to an agent at Diversified or visit: https://www.dol.gov/general/mental-health-at-work

DII is your partner in mental health awareness. Our team of experts can work with you to understand how to employ positive and mindful p ractices in the workplace. Please contact your DII representative for more information. #May #MentalHealthMonth