Introduction
In APA’s 2022 work and well bring survey, 81% of workers reported that they will be looking for workplaces that support mental health in the future.
In another survey conducted by Mind Share Partners’ 84% of respondents said that their workplace conditions had contributed to at least one mental health challenge.
Employees are the fuel of an organization. For a company to operate effectively, it is essential that its employees are content. Unhappy employees that are disheartened due to any reason in the company are quick to leave.
According to a survey conducted by Gallup, employee turnover costs American companies $1 trillion every year. Low employee wellbeing in a company also means low employee performance, and high turnover rates.
Organizations must focus on employee wellbeing to reduce turnover rates, increase employee satisfaction and productivity. This also helps in fueling innovation among employees and increasing customer satisfaction and retention i.e., the overall performance of the company is boosted.
Strategies for Managers to Support Employee Wellbeing
Encourage Open Communication about Mental Health Issues:
Organizations need to overcome the stigma surrounding mental health issues and let their employees have open conversations about it. The company culture needs to prioritize the mental health of its employees. The managers should be invested in their team’s wellbeing and can support them by having open-minded communications on the issues of burnout and stress.
Rephrase Negative Feedback in Performance Reviews
Performance reviews should be done regularly, instead of keeping it for hanging till the end of the year. Regular meetings and feedback by the manager can make this process less stressful and help the employee to quickly amend any unwanted activity or behavior so that they can give their best to the company.
Also, instead of providing negative feedback, managers now need to rephrase it and make it less stressful and more empathetic for the employee.
Suppose: instead of saying: “You missed an important meeting. It shouldn’t happen again”
Rephrase it to: “I noticed you weren’t present in today’s meeting. Please can you specify why so that we can ensure such a problem is not faced in the future.”
Putting an Employee Wellbeing Program into place
Managers must draft policies and programs that will support an employee’s wellbeing. The leadership must conduct research in the company and conclude what wellness programs and policies will benefit their employees.
Some examples include:
- Hybrid work arrangements
- Employee Recognition
- Mental health day celebration in the office
- Gym membership & book clubs
- Weekly meditation programs
And more activities that will help reduce turnover rates and absenteeism in the company.
Regular Check in Meetings
To bridge the gap between managers and the employees, regular check-in meetings are necessary. In these meetings managers must ask employees what they need to function at their full capacity and employees’ suggestions should be followed.
The feedback provided by the employee should be seriously considered. The manager must make it clear to the employee- what suggestions can be implemented and what suggestions are not practical.
Conclusion
To reduce absenteeism and turnover in the company, the managers need to be highly involved with the employees. This can also help increase employee retention, customer satisfaction and overall profitability of the company.
