By now you’ve no doubt seen news articles about the mental health issues Americans faced after years of pandemic response, economic dislocation, and partisan political infighting. Many HR professionals have access to the tools they need to combat these emotional fallout at work, but a significant number don’t believe they have the resources to adequately address the issue.
This was revealed by a survey of more than 3,400 HR professionals, across a variety of US industries, in organizations with 10 or more employees. The research was organized by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Foundation with the support of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co.
Tens of millions of American workers are experiencing mental health problems and are less productive because of it, inundating organizations with a wide range of new challenges, the SHRM Foundation found. “Mental health issues like burnout and stress are hampering short-term productivity and long-term business growth,” the organization says.
Roughly one in five (21%) of respondents who work for organizations that do not offer mental health benefits say their organizations lack the resources to address mental health, while another 21% of respondents believe it is too expensive to act. However, 94% of respondents believe that by offering mental health resources, organizations can improve the overall health of their employees.
Additionally, 86% believe offering mental health resources can increase employee retention and 72% say they believe such resources attract new talent, while 88% of respondents believe offering mental health resources can increase employee retention. productivity, and 78% say such resources can drive an organization’s return on investment in them.
This makes it clear that a lack of resources does not mean that employers are not aware of the problem and do not want to address it. “Fortunately for US workers, most organizations are not idle,” the researchers say, adding that 73% of respondents said their organizations currently offer workplace mental health resources or they plan to offer such resources next year. In addition, 73% say that they already have employee assistance programs (PAE).
However, while mental health has been recognized as a priority for most organizations, it is not necessarily a top priority, SHRM notes. Less than a third of respondents (32%) in this survey say that offering mental health resources is a “high priority” for their organization, while another 41% indicate that it is a “medium priority”.
“It is clear that the need to establish mental health as a top priority within our organizations is essential,” says Wendi Safstrom, president of the SHRM Foundation. “We must act now if we want to create a world of work that enables both employers and employees to thrive and lead healthy and productive organizations.”
the investigation report points out that this need is acute. Of the nearly 53 million adults in the United States with a mental illness, only 46% have accessed mental health services. “While workers need more support from their employers, they don’t necessarily know where to turn within their organizations,” the researchers note.
hidden in plain sight
“The solution,” suggests the SHRM study, “hides in plain sight: the human resources department. One problem is that too often workers with mental health problems don’t know where to turn. HR professionals. create a workplace culture that is conducive to mental health.”
How bad is today’s mental health challenge? One respondent stated, “Today’s American workforce is a mental wreck across the board.” Another HR professional said, “I think there are mental health issues in most industries. The types of problems can vary, but all industries can be affected.”
When the survey results are broken down by industry, HR professionals in the health sector are more likely (61%) to say that their staff experience more mental health issues than other industries, largely due to stress pandemic-induced employment.
Other industries, such as the nonprofit sector (47%), government/public administration/military (41%), and education (39%), state that their employees are more likely to experience mental health problems than other industries.
Employers heed the warning that taking uninformed action may be inappropriate, the researchers explain. Responses to the mental health crisis must be supported by regular evaluation, with employers monitoring and measuring the effectiveness of existing mental health resources in the workplace.
“That way, they can adjust and bolster those resources as needed,” they note. “Low-effective mental health resources do little to benefit employees; their mere presence is not enough to combat a crisis.”
However, when you do it right, for every $1 investment in mental health promotion, you can see a $3 to $5 return, says the foundation. “At today’s crossroads, the bottom line is at stake. The employer/employee relationship is at stake,” says the SHRM Foundation.
To expand the range of resources available to employers and human resource professionals, last year SHRM, the SHRM Foundation, and Psych Hub created the Mental health and wellness in the workplace initiative. Includes an eight-module course that awards professional development credit. Covers common mental health conditions, substance use, suicide, safety planning, diversity and bias, and communication skills.
Describing the program, SHRM says it was launched with the goal of removing mental health stigma from the workplace, fostering an organizational culture where mental health can be openly discussed, and helping organizations develop a more comprehensive approach. for the welfare of employees.
