Invisible HR Task: To Ensure Employee Mental Health
How far you know about HR job descriptions? Manage payroll and attendance, creating an organisation chart, handle every step of recruitment, and what else?
Every company needs skilled employees who can give a better contribution to the business.
Employees are trained, taught, assisted, so that they can reach the company’s goal.
Most companies wrote down “can work under pressure” as one of the requirements on the job vacancy.
However, how many companies concern about employee mental health? Or maybe one of those does not even know what that is.
Do you know what employee mental health is?
Mental health reflects on how people act, feel, and think. It is self-esteem in every individual, which is not easy to measure.
According to WHO, mental health means a state of well-being. Every individual consciously realises her or his potential, can cope with life’s normal stresses, can work productively and fruitfully, and can give a contribution to her or his community.
As today mentioned that the world celebrates Mental Health Day, WHO also wrote that “Every 40 seconds, someone loses their life to suicide”.
They ask people to join them, preventing suicide — for example, at work, at school, at home, and many more.
Some studies related to Employee Mental Health
Many people may experience suicidal thought when they are undergoing stress or experiencing depression. It can decrease individual work performance and a desire to socialise.
Though working is good for employee mental health, harassment or bullying at work marks a negative working environment which can lead to a physical and mental health problem.
According to CCOHS, there are thirteen Psychosocial Risk (PRK) factors in the workplace identified by researchers at Simon Fraser University stated below:
- Psychological Support.
- Organizational Culture.
- Clear Leadership & Expectations.
- Civility & Respect.
- Psychological Competencies & Requirements.
- Growth & Development.
- Recognition & Reward.
- Involvement & Influence.
- Workload Management.
- Engagement.
- Balance.
- Psychological Protection.
- Protection of Physical Safety.
Another study is from Safe Work Australia. They are focusing on work-related mental health issues found on average each year between 2012-13 to 2016-17.
According to the research, 6% of all severe worker’s compensation claims are for work-related mental health conditions. 7,140 Australians are compensated for work-related mental health conditions. Furthermore, 92% of all work-related severe mental health condition claims are attributed to work-related mental stress.
How to Create A Healthy Workplace for Employee?
Creating a healthy workplace should be one of the HR tasks. HR should maintain the work environment and ensure the mental health of every employee.
Here are 5 ways to create a healthy workplace explained below.
#1 Campaigning work-life balance.
Most companies need skilled employees who can work fast, accurate, and in-line with their goals. However, leaders should campaign work-life balance to reduce stress and create a healthy workplace.
In Indonesia, people work about 40 hours a week and should be paid for overtime. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) even provides infographic of working hours around the world.
Let employees lay their back after work and do not expect them to work from home in the evenings. Also, the company can provide regular vacations to reduce stress on the weekend and increase employees’ productivity on the workday.
#2 Open a discussion about mental health.
Make every people in a workplace aware of mental health. Managers can lead the employees in a meeting and discuss this problem and how it can affect the environment.
It can increase the consciousness of this issue. Thus, any practices of bullying, physical harassment, or any related matters should meet a solution.
#3 Provide EAP for employees.
EAP stands for Employee Assistance Program. It is an employee benefit program that assists employees with personal problems or work-related problems that may impact their job performance, health, mental and emotional well-being.
Employers may provide this program for their employees. It can help employees for marital issues, insomnia, and other related mental issues.
#4 Plan stress management training.
Provide employees with stress management training can help to aware of mental issues. Employers can invite a therapist to educate employees about stress management.
In conclusion, employers should always remember that a healthy workplace builds productive employees.
#5 Support employee to look for help.
Some people are shy to confess about their mental issues. It will be a bit difficult for employers to handle this kind of employee.
Therefore, the best act an employe can do is supporting employees to look for help. They can see a psychologist, community, or any related organisation that can help out.
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