Addressing Mental Health: 6 Initiatives That Worked

Many people today live with mental disorders. A recent survey shows that nearly 1 in 5 adults in the United States reports experiencing mental illness.¹ This can manifest in various ways, such as depression, lack of motivation, reduced focus, insomnia, and decreased teamwork. These conditions not only affect individuals’ confidence, productivity, and daily functioning. It also leads to higher healthcare costs and reduced work performance, which can hurt a company’s bottom line.

The reality is that work environments can either improve or worsen these issues.

How Working Conditions Affect Employees Mental Wellbeing

Almost 47% of young workers aged 18-29 say their job has hurt their mental health.² Jobs with a lot of pressure, long hours, and tough deadlines can cause stress, burnout, and anxiety. These problems are even bigger in environments where bullying, harassment, or discrimination happen. As an employer or leader, you have a key role in creating a supportive work environment that helps people stay mentally healthy.

Strategies for Improving Mental Health in the Workplace

Below are several mental health initiatives that show how big companies that support mental health awareness are changing the game. These initiatives show the benefits of prioritizing workplace mental health to support employees’ professional development.

1. Energy Check-in Initiative

Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG) recently introduced “energy check-ins” to prevent employee burnout at work.³ This program includes regular evaluations for individuals at risk of burnout based on their work hours, time off, and meeting attendance.

KPMG’s system monitors data to identify employees potentially showing burnout signs by tracking hours worked, PTO taken, and meeting time. Employees working more hours than usual or taking less PTO compared to their peers are flagged for an energy check-in.

When an employee is flagged, their manager is asked to have a meeting with them. This check-in focuses on discussing the employee’s work-life balance, offering well-being resources, and encouraging PTO use if needed. The goal is to address burnout symptoms early and support the employee’s mental and physical health.

2. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

EAPs are all about offering confidential help for personal and professional issues that can affect employees’ performance and health.

Johnson & Johnson supports the mental wellness of its employees through a special group called the Alliance for Diverse Abilities (ADA) Employee Resource Group (ERG).⁴ In 2017, this group started the Mental Health Diplomats (MHDi) to help people understand mental wellness better within the company and their communities.

The MHDi has grown quickly, expanding from 5 to 32 countries in just one year. They offer mental health resources, training, and support focusing on issues like depression and suicide prevention, not only to employees but also to their families. They also hold monthly talks to teach the Johnson & Johnson community worldwide about mental health and to help reduce the negative views people might have about it.

Additionally, the MHDi works with Johnson & Johnson’s Global Health Services to provide training on mental health awareness for managers. This training teaches managers how to talk about mental wellness with employees and encourages them to promote the company’s EAP.

3. Mental Health Training

Goldman Sachs has launched a new program where all employees and managers at the vice president level or higher must complete a 25-minute online mental wellness training.⁵

The training teaches managers how to notice warning signs in employees, like sudden increases in missing work, rude behavior, or changes in how they dress or take care of themselves. It also shows managers how to handle different situations, like helping employees who are grieving or feeling anxious about world events.

Jacqueline Arthur, Goldman’s global head of human capital management, says the training builds on earlier in-person programs and that the company felt it was time to expand it to all managers.

A key part of the training is teaching them to “stay in role” and not offer medical opinions or treatment advice. Instead, they should direct employees to company resources like the wellness team or EAPs. Managers are also encouraged to talk to Goldman’s employee relations team or business partners team before speaking with employees to plan the best way to support them.

Supervisors have about one month to complete the course. Goldman will evaluate managers on how well they remember the information through performance reviews and employee surveys, asking workers to rate how well their manager supports them, including their mental health support.

4. “This Is Me” Campaign

Barclays started the “This Is Me” campaign to encourage employees to talk about their mental health experiences.⁶ They partnered with companies like PwC to challenge the stigma around mental wellness at work. The goal was to create an environment where colleagues could improve mental health by comfortably talking about their personal experiences.

When they began in 2013, they didn’t expect the big impact it would have on Barclays and other companies. However, the response to the campaign has been very positive. This led to real awareness. Over 250 employees have shared experiences about their disability, a condition related to mental health, and neurodiversity.

5. Let’s Talk Day

Bell hosts an annual event called Let’s Talk Day, where they’ve donated over $100 million to mental wellness programs across Canada and started conversations worldwide.⁷ This is a major effort to tackle the stigma around mental illness and promote mental health awareness.

Since it began, Bell has committed over $139 million to mental health programs, aiming for $155 million by 2025. The campaign has promoted actions in mental wellness care, research, and workplace leadership, focusing on anti-stigma, care and access, research, and workplace leadership.

Bell Let’s Talk also partnered with many organizations to provide mental wellness services across Canada, emphasizing awareness, acceptance, and action. Through various funds and initiatives, Bell has supported local and grassroots projects, research programs, and workplace training.

The annual Bell Let’s Talk Day has gained significant support, with over a billion interactions, reflecting a growing international dialogue on mental wellness.

6. Professional Counseling Support

Oliver Wyman provides its employees with a free professional counseling support service that’s available 24/7 all year round.⁸ This service is private, confidential, free, offered in multiple languages, and can be accessed in various ways.

They also have programs that help employees get the support they need exactly when they need it. This includes education on mental health and well-being, local well-being committees that increase awareness in different areas, and ‘Recharge’ days, where offices in specific regions or locations shut down for the day so everyone can take a break and recharge.

Do you need a team that will support your company’s initiatives? Hughes Resources can help!

As you work on making your workplace mentally healthy, having the right team in place is key. Hughes Resources is here to find the best people who aren’t just good at their jobs but also really care about creating a supportive workplace and healthy company culture.

Our talent pool is built through trusted recommendations and smart networking, making sure they’re a perfect fit for your needs. With our try-before-you-buy option, you can see if a candidate works well with your team before making any long-term commitments. Plus, you won’t have to worry about handling hiring paperwork, payroll taxes, workers’ compensation, and unemployment benefits.

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