Mental Health at Work: Moving from Awareness to Action

One in five adults are living with a mental health condition, which means that employers have a duty to make mental health more than just a topic of converastion in May.

It’s Mental Health Awareness Month, which – at first glance – may seem unnecessary. After all, we’re all “aware” of mental health, right?

Not so much. Turns out that in the workplace anyway, there is still a gap between organizational intention for mental health support and actual employee experience.

According to the World Health Organization, $1 trillion (yes, trillion with a ‘T’) is lost annually due to depression and anxiety and the APA’s Work in America Survey showed that over 50% of employees attested that their workplace doesn’t provide adequate support.

These statistics underscore that the reality of mental health is not just a personal issue, it’s a workplace one, as well. And too often, it’s a challenge that receives a band-aid (i.e.: mental health assistance programs, which are commonly offered but rarely used according to an article in the Psychiatric Annals), rather than a long-term fix.

Employer practices that are actually proven to improve mental health outcomes do exist, though – here are 6 of them.

1. Train your managers to manage well-being, too

A UKG study showed that managers can have as much impact on an individual’s mental health as their spouse and more than their therapist. When supervisors are trained in recognizing the signs of stress and mental health issues, as well as in how to support employees when these are noticed, there is a tangible benefit to staff.

Training in diversity, equity, and inclusion for managers is also connected to supporting employee mental health. This type of learning supports managers to create an environment where people are encouraged to be themselves without fear of retribution – fostering psychological safety, in other words – which helps minimize stress on the job.

When managers receive this type of development, they are more likely to normalize conversations about mental health and to model using mental health benefits offered by the organization.

2. Provide robust mental health benefits

Speaking of leaders modeling using mental health supports – these must be on offering for staff! Prohibitive costs for mental health care are a barrier to support for many individuals (especially younger employees), and providing high-quality health insurance can alleviate some of that stress.

High-quality healthcare, by the way, ideally offers broad provider networks – so people can choose the doctors with whom they are most comfortable – and low out-of-pocket costs. At minimum, health insurance should follow the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which requires insurance companies offer coverage for behavioral and mental health, as well as substance abuse disorders, which are comparable to that provided for physical health coverage.

3. Support staff with mental health conditions to thrive

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in five adults experience a mental health condition each year. To address this reality, employers should ensure that people living with such conditions are able to access the work environment as fairly as possible. This may include providing reasonable accommodations to staff, such as allowing time off for health appointments, providing extra time to complete tasks, or allowing for flexible working hours.

Flexible work arrangements (hybrid workplaces and those that are fully remote) are particularly important for well-being: they are associated with lower job stress and higher work satisfaction. And flexible work environments are also a key driver of finding and maintaining talent according to McKinsey & Company’s American Opportunity Survey.

4. Remember to cultivate everyday connection

Loneliness at work - especially in hybrid or remote models - can be a silent stressor which may lead to burnout, stress, or depression. Gallup (long known as the workplace engagement experts) attests that “having a best friend at work” is one of the 12 key drivers of overall satisfaction.

While it’s more challenging to cultivate belonging in a virtual environment, it’s not impossible! Small rituals like authentic check-ins, cross-team introductions, and non-work conversations can deepen social bonds and support mental health.

Celebrating employee results and innovation is also a way to make people feel connected to, and invested in, the workplace. In a remote environment, this may look like a combination of shout-outs at your monthly team meeting, quick emails sharing appreciation, an unscheduled call to say thank you, or even the occasional handwritten note of recognition.

5. Create a strong mentorship program

Over 80% of Fortune 500 companies have mentorship programs in place to support the development of more junior staff members, and it makes sense: formal mentorship fosters connection and builds belonging. This is especially critical for early-career professionals and underrepresented groups. Excellent mentor relationships can lead to higher engagement, improved retention, and greater promotion rates, making them a smart investment in both people and performance.

When creating a mentorship program, ensure that it aligns with your business goals as well as your stated values. Then, design with the goals in mind. If you’re in growth mode, creating a mentoring program around onboarding could support a strong start to new staff. Or you may be focused strongly on DEI and inclusion-related goals, leading to a program that prioritizes inclusive advancement.

6. Hear (don’t just listen to) employee voice

Perhaps the most influential way that organizations can support mental health is to listen to what their employees are saying they want. There is a great deal of research to suggest that when people feel they have a voice in workplace decisions, they are more likely to stay in their jobs. We wrote about the many great ways you can get feedback here, and the mix of informal/formal, anonymous/public is critical to get the most robust picture of employee satisfaction.

Sharing the results of their input transparently with staff – and outlining a plan to respond to that feedback – is also necessary, otherwise the feeling of impact in providing feedback is lost. As part of these conversations, discussing the input that you’re not responding to, and providing rationale for that, does much to increase the feeling of safety that people have at work.

Moving mental health support from the “intention” bucket to the “impact” one is possible -

But it must be done with intention. Taking even a small step, and communicating that step to staff, can go a long way to improving mental health – and thus long-term outcomes – in your workplace.