The year was 2020. COVID-19 wreaked havoc not only on public health, but also on the corporate labor market with layoffs, wage cuts, extended work hours and hiring freezes. It would have been natural to expect India’s risk-averse middle-class workforce to remain weak and grateful for any stable source of income in an increasingly unpredictable environment.
But the business world was going to be surprised! The great Indian quit or “great shutdown” has happened. Employees were leaving their safe roles in the company to explore alternative careers, some in art, some in career paths they had always wanted to be in, others in entrepreneurship, choosing mental peace and a meaningful work rather than stable wage income.
As Covid vaccination rates rose and infection cases fell, employers began to ask their employees to return to work at their onsite campuses. While some appreciated the opportunity to see their teams outside of Zoom, a significant number felt that returning to work was going to have a negative impact on their mental health. This has also been validated by research reports. In a pre-covid era, job changes would occur in pursuit of higher incomes. But now employers who offered flexibility and telecommuting opportunities have become more sought after.
The year 2022 is now coming to an end, and if there is one thing that Covid has brought to the fore, it is that today’s employee is no longer in the same mental space. than two years ago.
Employee mental health cannot be ignored.
With employees being more susceptible to burnout, anxiety and stress, investments in mental health and wellbeing can help protect companies from toxic environments where the employee feels their psychological safety is at risk. . Since the impact of a mentally ill employee is a vicious branch that, in addition to affecting the performance of the individual, also reduces the overall productivity of the team, such investments help stifle in the egg the potential loss of morale at work.
When an employee resigns, it takes a whole effort to replace him. Not only are there impacts to team dynamics and knowledge systems, but from a purely business perspective, the loss of an employee could cost a company 2x their annual salary.
While turnover is part of the problem, “silent abandonment” is another aspect of negative mental health. Silent dropouts continue to stay on the job but perform suboptimally or simply contribute the bare minimum but refrain from showing ownership or enthusiasm.
While some employers continue to view these proactive initiatives to protect employee mental health as a luxury of the wealthy, several studies show that the investment is easily offset by gains in productivity and employee retention. Employees who receive mental health care are also said to have fewer missed work days and better productivity. The impacts on the bottom line due to absenteeism and turnover are far more severe than the costs to provide mental health benefits.
Not all employers are built equal, nor are all mental health employee benefits. Over the past 2 years, different companies have chosen strategies that reflect their corporate culture. While some have demonstrated complete employee confidence with unlimited time off and open control for all mental health-related consultations, others have taken a more hands-on approach by scheduling weekly counseling appointments and mandatory mental health leave.
Google was among the first companies to lead the way in mental health, taking concrete initiatives in 2020 itself. With a dedicated resource titled “Wellness Manager and Resilience Manager”, the company organized an early response by providing employees with resilience training, which is typically reserved for professional athletes and fighters.
Employers have a range of options to support mental wellbeing in their organizations. A comprehensive health plan that includes mental health insurance supplemented with counseling and therapy sessions can work wonders. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are a more general service that can help employees with personal issues. An organization can even start with a mental health survey to assess employee health and it requires little investment.
The decision to take a stand on mental health by any company is admirable, but it is also important to ensure that this principle is in the DNA of the company to prevent it from becoming a tick activity. In order to put in place truly effective solutions to this problem, it is imperative to make psychological safety part of the corporate culture. By checking in with employees regularly, keeping the lines of communication open, and providing employee stress training, any mental health crisis can be detected early and resolved.
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed above are those of the author.
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