Employee stress levels have increased due to layoffs, disputes over return to work, and worries that jobs will be replaced by artificial intelligence, revealing a concerning workplace weakness: Very few managers are skilled at handling workers’ mental health issues in a suitable manner.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, nine out of ten US adults think there is a mental health crisis in the nation. Few workplaces have guardrails in place so managers know what not to say, even though most have basic policies on how to handle problems like employee depression and anxiety. As a result, bosses make what experts describe as haphazard attempts to discuss mental health issues at work. which, despite its good intentions, might put more stress on employees. According to a survey by the business network Fishbowl, more than seven out of ten workers feel uncomfortable talking to their managers about their mental health needs and challenges.
“Managers are lost,” said Christina McCarthy, executive director at One Mind at Work, a mental-health nonprofit. “Those who are on the frontlines, the middle managers, are fundamentally ill-equipped.”
Organizations have increased awareness of and investment in mental health issues as a result of the rise in these problems among workers brought on by the pandemic. Long-held stigmas are fading, and once-guarded business leaders are now open about the difficulties they’ve encountered. According to a survey conducted by Headspace Health last year, two out of three CEOs reported discussing their mental health at work, up from just one in three in 2020. However, that does not imply that they are acting appropriately.
For years, businesses and their executives have been searching for the best strategy for addressing workplace mental health. The key to success, according to corporate consultant Mike Robbins’ “Bring Your Whole Self to Work” TED talk from 2015, is bringing “all of who we are” to work with us, including our “fears, doubts, and insecurities.” He expanded on earlier research by Brené Brown, who has emphasised the “power of vulnerability,” in his speech.
However, as these cutting-edge leadership strategies have gained popularity, staff members have started to complain on company blogs about managers who push employees to be vulnerable before budget meetings. During team calls, some even established a “condolence corner” where employees were encouraged to share details of a recent tragedy, such as the passing of a parent.
McCarthy said, “Managers are not therapists — it’s a liability. Because of the possibility of unintended consequences, “most organisations would be concerned if they heard that their managers were acting in this way.
A training platform’s vice president of people, Melanie Naranjo, recalls having a boss who insisted she discuss matters she’d prefer to keep private early in the pandemic.
“Employees want to know managers care about their well-being and their success,” she said. “That does not mean saying, ‘Hey, I struggle with depression. I’d like to open it up and see who else has!‘”
According to James Pratt, a former human resources executive who has struggled with bipolar disorder, leaders who do that are similar to “psychological vampires.” “They feed off of everyone else’s suffering, and it can cause people to suffer a great deal.”
Even though it is more common now, training only goes so far, according to experts. Bernie Wong, senior manager of insights and principal at mental health nonprofit Mind Share Partners, said, “It’s just click the box and move on.” The best piece of advice that experts can give a layperson drawn into a coworker’s problems is to listen and direct them to the right source of help.
Employers are working to become better. The tax and auditing behemoth KPMG is testing a programme where managers can call and use the company’s confidential employee assistance programmes (EAP), which links staff members to mental-health resources. By doing this, they are better able to comprehend the procedure in use when an employee actually requires assistance.
In his capacity as US total rewards leader and manager of KPMG’s benefits and wellbeing programs, Jason LaRue said, “If someone came to us bleeding, we would not ask just anybody to be a doctor.” You direct them to the assistance they require.
One worry is that the cost-cutting initiatives that are still gaining traction throughout the economy might target mental health resources. In a survey conducted by Headspace Health last year, only 25% of employees reported that their employers continued to focus on the problem as the pandemic subsided. According to Wong of Mind Share Partners, that would be foolish.
Employees are most in need of support during economic downturns, when employers feel the need to make cuts, he claimed.
