A Check in on Mental Health

Do you know the impact the pandemic and remote work is having on the mental health of your people?  Many of our clients are asking us to help them figure it out, which often starts with an employee wellness survey.  Each time we go over the results together, the importance of building a culture that encourages people to have wellness conversations becomes clear.  We are starting to realize that many of the mental health challenges people are having are not new, and an ebbing of the pandemic is not going to solve them.

A recent article in the Globe and Mail sounded the alarm for white collar professionals, in particular.

The title says it all:

Working from home is causing breakdowns.  Ignoring the problem and blaming the pandemic is no longer an option.
Nearly a year into physical separation from colleagues, bosses and clients – sometimes coupled with kids trapped at home – white collar professionals are cracking. Often, top performers who tend to push through the pain are those who are struggling the most. A recent Morneau Shepell survey found that 40 per cent of managers in finance and professional services have considered leaving their jobs since the pandemic started.

So, are you ignoring a problem?  Is there a problem to begin with?

Here are five coaching questions for you to consider:

1. Am I intentionally building a culture that encourages conversations around mental health?
2. Is our employee benefits plan keeping our employees well?
3. Are people taking the time off they need to rest and rejuvenate?
4. Am I measuring and monitoring employee benefits utilization?
5. Am I measuring and monitoring how safe people feel having mental health conversations at work?

If you don’t know the answers or you find yourself answering “no”, we can help.  And while you are taking a moment to reflect on your organization, why not take a moment to reflect on yourself:

1. What people in my life can I have conversations with about my mental health?
2. Am I accessing (or do I have access to) the benefits I need to keep me well?
3. What is one way I plan to rest and rejuvenate in the coming weeks?

Remember, we can also support you in your own wellness through one-on-one coaching.  If you need support to stay well, give us a shout.  We can help you get unstuck.

Over the past year we have seen employees place significantly more value on benefits and indirect compensation.  The synergy between benefits programs, HR systems, HR strategy and messaging is something we specialize in at Granville West.  We are always looking to connect with organizations that see the value of a combined employee benefits and HR service offering.  If you know of an organization that needs to hear from us, please let us know.