Listen to this articleAs part of NJBIZ’s latest virtual discussion, leaders from New Jersey-based organizations took an in-depth look at workplace mental health issues.
The June 25 panel, moderated by NJBIZ Editor Jeffrey Kanige, covered:
During the 90-minute roundtable discussion, panelists spoke about fostering a culture that supports and values good mental health, as well as helpful benefits and resources employers can offer.
Participants also discussed the best models for flexible working to support mental health needs, as well as the importance of training managers and supervisors to recognise the signs of stress.
Positive Culture
“Mental health can’t be separated from physical health. They’re different in theory, but one affects the other. You have to address the whole person, and I think organizations need to be smart about how their employees are treated and how their work-life balance works. I think we all need to be committed to taking care of our employees as best as we can,” Totaro said.
“When we talk about being a leader in health and wellness, I really think it’s a trickle-down effect. We have to lead by example. So I think if you start at the top, you create a culture,” Ellett said.
Mental health and physical health are inseparable. Although in theory they are different, one affects the other.
– Alexis Totaro, Christian Health
“It’s all about relationships with your staff. If you don’t have relationships with your staff, how are you going to understand what’s going on in your facility, what the culture is and how you can change that culture if it’s not very healthy,” she said.
“The world is in the midst of a mental health crisis right now, and I think COVID has accelerated that and our addiction to social media has exacerbated it,” Small said. “So in the workplace, we’re seeing a lot of employees coming to work with a lot of anxiety, and that’s just the reality. I think it’s important to create a safe and supportive environment. As leaders, we need to be aware of the signs that an issue is developing and have processes in place for how to address it.”
Totaro believes it’s important to give employees “the best opportunity to achieve work-life balance and lead by example.”
“It’s imperative that we give employees time to rest, and we must promote wellness in the workplace,” she said.
On Patrol
As part of a healthy culture, the panelists emphasized the need to regularly engage with employees. Not only does this foster a more positive culture, but it also helps identify problems sooner.
“Everyone has bad days, but those who are suffering may have changed patterns of behavior and performance. They may be late, not turn things in on time, or appear sad and withdrawn, or the opposite may be true,” Totaro said.
Replay: Panel discussion on workplace mental health
To watch the full panel discussion, please click to register.
“Simply put, it’s about getting to know your employees, showing empathy and kindness, and if they’re struggling with something, giving them the time they need to address the issue,” she said. “I think we could do more to provide guidance to managers and supervisors letting them know how to recognize the time of a team member who is struggling.”
“It’s really important for us to have the face-to-face time to make the effort to go into the units and talk to the staff. If the staff are happy, the clients are happier because they’re getting better care, so it really benefits everyone that we take the time,” Ellett said.
“Ultimately, the other person needs to feel understood, and the easiest way to do that is to start or end the meeting with a ‘Hi, how are you?’ and then just dive in a little deeper,” McVay said.
“And after you share a little bit, it’s human nature for the other person to share back. Of course, there are appropriate boundaries in the workplace. We don’t want to cross certain boundaries, but people want to be seen and feel seen. And we want to start those proactive conversations before we get to the point of, ‘You’re not performing well, so we’re going to put you on a personal development plan,'” McVay said. “We want to start this early, before it becomes a problem.”
Small agreed. “One-on-one meetings are important, but in a large organization, the number of them is so high that it’s just not possible, so you need to come up with a structure where you have one-on-one meetings with certain people and then look for other opportunities to connect with people across the organization.”
He continued: “Otherwise it’s going to be business as usual and people aren’t going to want to come to work and feel like they’re just being handed parts on a factory floor. They want to have a human connection with everyone.”
Teach empathy
While not all managers and supervisors may be naturally empathetic, the panelists believe leadership can learn how to behave in a more compassionate way.
“There are all kinds of personalities out there, and some people are just born with more empathy than others, but empathy can be taught, and even if it’s something that’s hard for an individual, you can model it and really work with them,” Small said.
Ellett added: “It comes down to the idea of cultivating and communicating thoughts and feelings to leaders, employees and associates. Having that mentality is really important because it feeds back into the organization and benefits the organization.”
Employee Resource Programs
Panelists believe that employee resource programs are beneficial for companies.
McVay encouraged companies to work with their human resources departments to help employees understand what is available to them through health insurance and employee resource programs.
“You could have a ‘Wellness Wednesday’ where employees come in and HR talks about the tools they can use. Do this every week so there’s a record that employees can refer back to,” she says. “It’s not that they don’t have the resources, it’s that they just don’t feel motivated to use them.”
“The pandemic has reduced some of the stigma around mental illness, but it’s still there. There’s no question about it. There’s still stigma. People see it as a weakness,” Small said.
“So I think we have to be aware of that and try to address it, because people aren’t getting the help they need. Half of the people who need treatment don’t get it for a variety of reasons, whether it’s because they don’t have the means to get it or because of fear of stigma or nihilism, or all of the above,” he said.
“I think these things can be a little more sensitive when talking about the workplace,” Ellett said. “Not just because there’s a stigma attached to them, but because staff may experience internalized stigma. If I go to my manager and say, ‘I’m really struggling,’ will they start to doubt my abilities? Will they doubt my ability to complete projects and meet responsibilities?”
“We have a responsibility as leadership to have these conversations and let our staff know, ‘Here are the resources that are available to you. No questions, no comments, no concerns, just know that this is available to you if you would like,'” she said.
