Habits Of Happiness

National surveys show that, in a given month, more than 77% of employees experience work-related stress, which can lead to emotional exhaustion or workplace burnout.

Thankfully, mental wellness is more consistently addressed and discussed in our society at large and in our workplaces. “Employers are moving past stigmas and creating safe spaces for those with mental health needs. Whole-person health is now the focus of benefit offerings,” says Denise Corcoran, vice president of network management, Regence BlueShield in Seattle. Organizations aiming to create diverse, equitable, and inclusive environments should not lose sight of the foundational importance of mental wellness in achieving that goal.

Here are some frequently asked questions from employers on the subject:

How can our organization listen to employees before communicating the mental wellness benefits that we offer?

Share with your workforce your desire to improve and grow in your mental wellness practices and benefits offerings. Don’t make assumptions about what employees need with respect to mental health and well-being — rather, be intentional about asking them. Provide various opportunities for gathering feedback so that your organization can review ways to improve directly from those who would benefit from these efforts.

“Ensuring all intersectional identities are included in mental wellness benefits and programs is key, and a necessary step in achieving this is listening,” says Hanna Sanford, community engagement manager with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. “Don’t tell folks what support they need. Ask them what would make an impact on their whole-person health, and provide those resources.” Once you have the information and have designed programs and offerings, over-communicate what is available to your employees so that when benefits or care are needed, accessibility is not a hindering factor.

My company is proud of our wellness benefits and programs. What are some ways we can further the dialogue?

Create opportunities and space for employees to connect in a way that is authentic to them, whether that’s through employee resource groups or advisory councils dedicated to mental wellness. Allowing for further dialogue can be immensely impactful to employees who haven’t been socialized to talk about their mental health openly, and it is further beneficial for your organization to learn more ways to support its workforce.

“I’ve been impacted in a positive way by the willingness of my younger colleagues to speak openly about mental wellness,” says Grand Hyatt Seattle Senior Sales Manager Audrey Quevillon. “That simple act of communication has helped to ensure whole-person health is a priority for myself and my teammates.”

Make sure to have an intersectional approach to leadership and representation in these groups, including job functions and roles to include as many perspectives and experiences as possible. “It’s important to think about your entire workforce and make sure no one is left out,” Corcoran says. “Ensuring that all identities are represented in the discourse with respect to job role and function, gender identity, race, age, physical ability, and sexual orientation will uncover new opportunities to support all employees.

How can our leaders model our commitment to mental wellness?

If leadership is willing to be vulnerable in sharing their own stories and priorities around mental health and wellness, utilize that broadly. It can help set the tone, create more empathy, and reduce stigma. “If you feel comfortable doing so, leading by example is so impactful,” Corcoran says. “When a leader is willing to share when they feel anxious, when they’re experiencing burnout, or when they need to take a wellness day, it shows their employees that it is safe and encouraged to prioritize their own mental wellness.”

It is important to check in with leaders and remember that they are human, too. Managers are often the first point of interaction for someone who needs support. “In inclusive workplaces, HR leaders and managers champion their employees in many ways,” Sanford says. “It is important to realize that even trained therapists experience compassion fatigue. Ensuring resources, tools, and training programs are available to aid managers and leaders who are supporting others on a daily basis is essential.”

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Tara Buchan and Dani Carbary founded TADA Partners and lead Collabor8 Employer Collective, a cohort of employer organizations of varying industries and sizes focused on infusing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into all eight stages of an employee’s life cycle .