HRMorning essential readings: Employee mental health

Any HR pro knows that employee mental health and wellness is a top priority when it comes to taking care of your people. 

But between so many factors impacting employee well-being – from financial woes to rampant burnout, it can be a lot to keep a handle on. 

To make matters worse, employees who are struggling with their mental health may fear speaking up about it even if they want to due to stigma or judgment. So, HR needs to be proactive when it comes to helping support employee mental health before it becomes a crisis. 

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month – which takes place throughout the month of May – here are some essential resources to help HR pros keep employee mental health – and their own – a top priority.

The basics

Mental health can be tough to talk about, especially at work, and can have many different elements. It’s important to get a pulse check on employee mental health and ensure that you have foundational knowledge before you dive into specific mental health issues.

• 3 ways to improve mental health literacy at your organization 
• Mental health in the workplace & the importance of support 
• Beyond Mental Health Awareness Month: How to help year round

Burnout

Burnout has become a bit of a buzzword in the HR world, but its impact on employee engagement, retention and satisfaction can’t be denied. Burnout can be detrimental to a business and is often left unaddressed until it’s too late.

• Understanding employee burnout: Causes, symptoms and prevention strategies 
• Help high performers battle burnout – before they become quiet quitters
• Employee burnout: Don’t wait to act until it’s too late

Mental health issues

Mental health issues – whether it’s from a temporary stressor or a lifelong condition – can disrupt all areas of someone’s life, and their work is no exception. Although these issues can be personal and sometimes uncomfortable to talk about, there are ways for HR to help employees who have mental health conditions. 

• Help employees with substance use disorder get the mental health support they need
• Beat turnover: Help employees with depression & anxiety
• Alcoholism at work is costing you more than you think: What HR can do

Employee support

Offering support to employees who are actively struggling can come in many different forms. Whether it’s through comprehensive mental health benefits or offering employee mental health training, support doesn’t always have to look like a sit-down conversation.    

• Supporting employee mental health: How do you know if your employees are really OK?
• What employees want in a mental health benefits plan now
• Managers’ mental health is suffering: 3 ways HR can help

HR self-care

Taking care of your own mental health as an HR pro is essential. Neglecting your own well-being can lead to burnout and worsening mental health issues, and make it much harder to care for your people.

• 4 ways to ease HR’s excessive workload and avoid burnout
• Guess who’s over-stressed and quitting the most? It’s you, HR! Here’s help
• HR burnout still on the rise: Advice on what to do now