Mental health in the workplace is a growing concern, with employees experiencing high rates of poor mental health and burnout. An individual’s mental health is crucial for overall well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the existing high burden of mental health conditions, with employees having to deal with health anxieties, COVID-19 restrictions, and increased job uncertainty. The result has been an increase in stress, and rising rates of mental health conditions, which has impacted workplace productivity and resulted in increased staff turnover. Employees are responsible for managing their own mental health, but the workplace can expose them to negative factors that are out of their control. As an employer, it is in your best interests to address these factors and prioritize your employee’s mental health, as this can have significant benefits not only for their well-being, but also for the success of your organization.
Post-COVID-19: Employee Mental Health in the Workplace
Mental health is conceptualized as an absence of a mental disorder and a state of well-being. The WHO defines mental health as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes their own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to contribute to their community. Mental health does not exist alone; it encompasses physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health, which make up an individual’s overall state of well-being. According to the WHO, one in four people globally will be affected by a mental disorder at some point in their lives.
The emergence of COVID-19 in late 2019 exposed the large and often disregarded burden of poor mental health across communities. Globally, individuals had to adapt to COVID-19 restrictions, face uncertainty and fear towards the disease, experience the loss of loved ones, and experience job loss or insecurity. As the world managed the pandemic, the negative impact it had on an existing high burden of mental health challenges was brought to the forefront.
Prior to the pandemic, major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders were major contributors to the global burden of disease. Globally, as of 2019, the disability-adjusted life year (DALY) attributable to depressive disorders was 605.67 DALYs per 100,000 population, and for anxiety disorders it was 370.61 DALYs per 100,000 population. DALYs represent the burden of disease, where one DALY represents the loss of the equivalent of one year of full health. In 2021, a study on mental health in 204 countries reported that the pandemic contributed an additional 53 million cases of major depressive disorder, and an additional 76 million cases of anxiety disorders. One common factor that contributed to poor mental health before and during the pandemic was job-related stress.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing corporate challenges to the well-being of employees, specifically employee mental health. The pandemic has led to a significant increase in the number of employees working from home (WFH). This has many benefits, including increased flexibility, reductions in commuting time, and control of environmental factors. However, it has also negatively impacted some employees’ mental health. Remote work has led to increased social isolation and reduced opportunities for in-person social interactions.
Another significant challenge of WFH has been the blurring of boundaries between work and personal life, leading to an “always online” culture that contributes to stress, and burnout. Burnout is defined as “a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” Burnout is characterized by exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job, negative feelings towards one’s job, and reduced productivity. Opinions on remote work differ amongst employees, but these differences depend on a range of individual and environmental factors. For example, individuals who live alone, or are extroverted, may be more affected by the lack of social interaction, which could negatively impact their mental health. A hybrid work structure (comprised of remote and in-person work) might be a solution to address the challenges of fully remote work.
Hidden Costs of Ignoring Mental Health in the Workplace
The workplace has been identified as a factor that serves to either strengthen or undermine employee mental health. The WHO estimated that at least fifteen percent of employees are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition. One in four employees view their job as the number one stressor in their lives. There are several factors contributing to workplace stress, including long or inflexible hours, demanding and unmanageable workloads, and a toxic work environment. These factors can increase employee stress and eventually lead to burnout causing physical and mental exhaustion. This increases the chances of developing a mental health condition. Unaddressed mental health challenges have significant implications on the overall functioning of a business.
Poor workplace mental health is associated with negative consequences for businesses, such as high staff turnover, lower engagement, and decreased productivity. Loss of productivity is characterized by increased rates of absenteeism (absence from work) and presenteeism (showing up for work but working with impaired functioning). Mental health conditions are the leading cause of workplace absenteeism, and productivity losses in most middle to high-income countries. The American Psychiatric Association reported that employees with unresolved depression experience a 35 percent reduction in productivity, which is estimated to contribute to a loss of $210.5 billion a year for the US economy. In 2023, health economists have estimated that unaddressed mental health conditions have cost the South African economy an estimated R161 billion per year because of lost days of work, presenteeism, and premature mortality.
Building Mental Health Resilience in the Workplace
Not all employees who experience workplace stress suffer from poor mental health outcomes; some can adapt and thrive while facing such circumstances. Such individuals can be described as resilient. Resilience is defined as the ability to withstand adversity and adapt using various skills and resources. Levels of resilience differ between different individuals, with one individual being more or less resilient than another. High levels of resilience are a protective factor against work-related stress. An employee's ability to withstand adversity can help them overcome stressful situations and recover quicker. This in turn can safeguard employees’ mental health, increase productivity, and reduce burnout and staff turnover rates.
Individuals have the capacity to build their resilience, as well as to learn the necessary skills needed to face stressful situations. Therefore, building employee resilience is one way for employers to ensure employees can manage stressful workplace situations, like demanding workloads, and reduce poor mental health outcomes. Employers can provide their employees with opportunities to build their resilience, including:
- Introducing learning and development programs aimed at helping employees to better manage stress, and build a resilient, flexible mindset.
- Group resilience training in the form of seminars.
- One-on-one resilience coaching can be implemented for employees that are not benefiting from the group-based interventions.
Practical Steps Employers Can Take to Foster a Culture of Mental Well-being in the Workplace
While building employee resilience is important, it is not the sole solution to addressing employee mental health. A focus on building resilience unintentionally places most of the responsibility of dealing with stressful situations on the employee. Multiple studies have found that many employers focus on individual-level interventions, such as resilience building, and wellness programs. While these interventions help remedy symptoms caused by workplace stress, they fail to address the factors that contribute to employee stress. This underestimates the role the workplace plays in employee well-being.
Employers also have a responsibility to ensure they create a mentally healthy and positive work environment for their employees. Factors such as long work hours, unfair treatment, being overworked, low autonomy, a toxic work environment, and low social support all contribute to an employee's stress and poor mental health, and subsequent low employee productivity. These factors are unlikely to be addressed with resilience and wellness-focused interventions.
Research has also found that while more resilient employees are better equipped to handle stressful situations, and work in negative environments, they are less likely to tolerate this. A McKinsey survey showed that employees with high levels of resilience and adaptability were 60 percent more likely to report that they intend to leave their organization if they experienced a negative work environment. This emphasizes that relying on improving employee resilience without addressing the workplace factors that contribute to poor employee mental health puts the business at a higher risk of losing its most resilient and adaptable employees.
A mentally healthy workplace acknowledges and minimizes factors that contribute to stress, while also promoting protective factors. Interventions that could create a mentally healthy workplace include:
- Promoting work-life balance.
- Organizational interventions to address workload challenges and allow reasonable work accommodations.
- Initiatives that promote mindfulness and well-being, such as creating opportunities for self-care, stress management, and problem solving.
- Encouraging open communication and feedback.
- Support employees in expressing their concerns.
- Providing opportunities for professional development and growth.
- Providing mental health resources and support.
- Training for managers and employees to improve awareness, attitudes, and behaviors towards mental health, reduce stigma, and enhance skills to seek help and utilize available resources.
- Providing support to employees that are returning to work after dealing with mental health challenges.
In today's world the work environment is more fast-paced and competitive than ever, thus, protecting employees' mental health is essential to maintain work productivity. Even though it is the employer's responsibility to ensure that the working environment is conducive to mental health well-being; it is also the employees' role to promote their own mental health and build their resilience. The employer’s role is critical to ensure that employee mental health is promoted, and employees have opportunities to build their resilience. When employee mental health is prioritized it creates a positive and mentally healthy work environment where employees feel supported, valued, and empowered. The benefit to the employer is an increase in productivity, reduced presenteeism and absenteeism, reduced staff turnover rates, and improved overall job satisfaction. By working together, both employers and employees can create a workplace culture that prioritizes mental health and builds resilience. This not only benefits the employees but also positively impacts the business' success and sustainability.
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