Talent leaders must protect employees from harm and embrace bullying prevention as one of the key ways this can be accomplished.
Post-pandemic mental health in the workplace has become a priority like never before, with bullying prevention at the heart of the issue. A community mental health organization put it this way, “When you are harassed in the workplace, this gives more room for anxiety to appear. There are many anxiety disorders that people can develop over time, and many of them can affect how they function. You may have constant feelings of fear and anxiety, thoughts that something bad will happen soon, and an inability to work on your tasks because of these thoughts.
according to a McKinsey study, one in three employees say that returning to work, as part of a post-pandemic transition, has had a negative impact on their mental health, leaving them feeling anxious and depressed.
The study’s findings posit that “employers who recognize and prioritize psychological safety alongside physical safety in their post-pandemic operations can help the mental health of employees and their own efforts to cultivate inclusive workplaces. This support can have concrete effects on critical workplace outcomes, including employee well-being, satisfaction, productivity, and absenteeism.”
A new mental health framework from the US Surgeon General.
United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy agrees. A recently released Surgeon General’s Framework for Mental Health and Well-Being in the Workplace describes the critical role that workplaces must play in promoting the health and well-being of workers. “As the ‘silent resignation’ reports and the Great Resignation have shown, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the nature of work for many and the relationship some workers have with their jobs.”
The Surgeon General says this frame “Require organizations to rethink how they protect workers from harm, foster a sense of connection among workers, show workers they matter, make space for their lives outside of work, and support their growth. It will be worth it, because the benefits will accrue to both the workers and the organizations.”
The framework announcement cited these alarming statistics about mental health in the workplace:
The top recommendation shouldn’t come as a surprise. Stated as “damage protection”, it is described as follows:
damage protection: Creating the conditions for physical and psychological safety is a fundamental basis for guaranteeing mental health and well-being in the workplace. To promote practices that better ensure protection against harm, workplaces can:
- Prioritize physical and psychological safety in the workplace
- Allow adequate rest
- Normalize and support the focus on mental health.
- Operationalize the standards, policies and programs of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA)
Let’s dig deeper to see what it means to protect employees from harm and consider why preventing bullying is one of the key ways this can be accomplished.
How bullying prevention is connected to mental health
Harm protection, by its very definition, requires preventing something bad from happening. That’s why it’s called bullying prevention. That means not only raising awareness about the mental health damage bullying can cause, but also taking concrete steps to address behaviors that can ultimately lead to the legal definition of bullying, such as bullying, microaggressions ( scorn and criticism sometimes disguised as “jokes”). ”) and other behaviors that degrade and belittle others.
- Raise awareness about the effects of bullying on mental health. – In essence, most people want to help others. That’s why your first step is to prioritize the physical and psychological well-being of your employees by educating them about the harm bullying can cause and by appealing to their own natural instincts to protect others from harm. Consider that there is nothing more powerful than story-based learning. When people listen to others talk about their experience, they broaden their perspectives and provide insight into how people can experience the same workplace in different ways.
Action: Expose your employees to learning that features real people sharing their personal experiences around mental health.
- Addressing the precursors of bullying Bullying doesn’t come out of nowhere. Bullies will often test your limits to see how far they can go. That’s why it’s critical to address the precursors to bullying, such as bullying, microaggressions, and sexual advances. Employees need to understand the nuances of misconduct and the damage it can cause to the mental health of their colleagues. Central to this is that they need the opportunity to see positive and negative behaviors play out and to know what to do when faced with these situations in real life.
Action – Engage your employees in interactive scenarios that guide them in making decisions about how they might behave in certain situations.
- Make sure managers know what to watch for – Managers are your most important audience. They are a primary organizational conduit, exerting influence in multiple directions: their team, senior leaders, and peers. They play a crucial role in creating a safe and inclusive environment, ensuring the psychological safety and mental health of their employees. But to do so, they must be equipped with the right strategies and tools they need to make a difference. For starters, they need guidance on how to spot signs of behavioral changes among their employees. And when an employee comes to them with concerns, they must be prepared to start the conversation believing that what they are hearing is real and should be investigated.
Action: Provide managers with education and training on topics such as intervention and retaliation. Empower them with what they need to take deliberate action.
- Foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, from the top – Your company culture sets the stage for the behavior of your employees. If employees feel protected, included and appreciated, the foundation for trust is laid. That trust can help employees understand each other better and see that differences are what make teams stronger and more successful. Culture change must start at the top and respectful behavior must be modeled by everyone in a leadership position. Employees will reflect that behavior and can help build an environment that supports mental health.
Action: Foster the commitment and responsibility of the leader/manager. Help them cultivate a sense of empathy and place them at the center of creating a safe and inclusive workplace.
- Prioritize mental health and bullying prevention through policies and processes – All your efforts and best intentions to create a culture of psychological safety and mental health for your employees can fall apart without complementary policies and procedures. Consider the manager who has no flexibility to provide time off for an employee during a stressful time in their life, or a workplace with such rigid standards and high demands that an employee’s work-life balance is severely compromised. .
Action: Review all policies and procedures and adjust any areas that do not support the safety and well-being of your employees.
Finally, recall your own experiences with what it’s like to be in an organization that sees you as more than just a resource for monetization. Remember those moments in which you felt appreciated, understood and valued as a human being. How did that make you feel? Did it make you want to work harder to support the organization’s mission? Did it make you more focused and committed to your work? While research shows statistics about the importance of mental health in the workplace, your own experiences will empower you with the commitment, time, and energy you’ll need to put your plans into action.
