Mental health at work: definition and current issues
What is mental health at work?
To begin with, we talk about mental health at work to designate the psychological, emotional and social state of an employee in the professional context.
To assess their condition, we must understand how they manage stress, anxiety and pressures related to their job. In this evaluation, we also take into account the feeling about going to work (feeling of apprehension). What does good mental health look like? We consider that we have good mental health at work when employees feel generally supported, valued and able to face professional challenges in an appropriate manner, using the adequate resources, and in a calm manner.
What are the current challenges of mental health in business?
>Reduce absenteeism at work. Absenteeism generates direct and indirect costs for companies: social charges, additional compensation, replacement, work overload for the team and disruption to the organization, loss of productivity, etc.
>Support productivity and performance. Mental health is closely linked to productivity and performance. Employees who are in good shape morally, psychologically, and who feel emotionally secure are in a better position to work. They are more focused, more efficient, more creative and productive.Several studies have also proven the link between well-being and performance. To cite one carried out by MIT and Harvard, happy employees are 31% more productive.
>Strengthen the attractiveness and retention of talent. A study conducted by DARES specifies that 85% of organizations with working conditions considered restrictive have difficulty recruiting.
>Improve the company's image. According to a recent survey by UKG's Workforce Institute, an HR solutions provider, 80% of respondents highlighted mental health as their top priority at work. Two thirds of those surveyed said they were ready to accept a reduction in their salary if this resulted in a workplace conducive to their well-being. A company that has a solid occupational health prevention and HRQoL policy is therefore guaranteed to have a positive reputation.
What are the main factors that impact mental health in the workplace?
Working conditions
Working conditions cover material aspects (physical constraints, resources, health conditions, etc.), organizational aspects (working time, pace of work, autonomy and room for maneuver, etc.), and psychosocial aspects (relations with customers, hierarchy and colleagues, feeling of usefulness, etc.) in which the professional activity is carried out.
Having good working conditions with suitable tools and equipment, good understanding between colleagues, a work space promoting concentration and comfort, or even a reasonable workload contribute to the emotional and psychological well-being of employees.
Management.
Management has a significant impact on the mental health of employees. Nearly one in two employees have left their job to escape their manager. A managerial culture based on employee autonomy, listening, team spirit, inclusion, the right to make mistakes, recognition and feedback promotes a healthy social climate of trust. Unlike authoritarian management, valuing competitiveness which creates a stressful environment.
Work/personal life balance
Having a good work/life balance is one of the main expectations of employees. Among the initiatives promoting mental well-being we find: flexible hours, teleworking, the ban on meetings before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m., leave for caring employees, etc.
What solutions to improve the mental health of employees?
Raise team awareness of mental health issues
Awareness campaigns make it possible to educate employees about psychosocial risks (stress, burnout, workaholism, overconnection, harassment) and solutions to prevent or even eliminate them. They can take different forms: booklets, posters, mailings, infographics, posts on social networks, workshops, seminars.
The objective is to create an emotionally and psychologically safe work environment. To build your campaigns and run your workshops, don’t hesitate to enlist the help of experts: occupational medicine, organizations specializing in mental health, psychologists, etc.
Train teams in PSR and good mental health practices
Employees must take responsibility for their mental health. This is important so that they can take responsibility and adopt good habits and good behavior in stressful situations at work. You can organize training sessions allowing them to recognize stressors at work, behaviors to avoid and those to favor to take care of their mental health and that of others.
Implement organizational measures at company level to improve mental health
Articles L4121-1 et seq. of the Labor Code require all employers to take the necessary measures to ensure the safety and protect the physical and mental health of their employees. Two types of organizational measures can be deployed:
- Preventive measures intended to reduce or even eliminate RPS factors;
- Positive measures aimed at positively improving the quality of life and working conditions (QVCT) through, in particular, commitment, performance and development.
Here are some examples of measures:
- Prevent, reduce and eliminate professional risks;
- Home Office;
- Flexible working hours;
- Limit digital pollution (apply the right to disconnect);
- CExtended maternity/paternity leave;
- Managing through care;
- Reduce or eliminate non-essential team meetings …
Gamification, an effective lever for raising awareness and training teams in mental health at work
Mental health is a topic that can frighten employees and which has many preconceived ideas. HR gamification presents itself as a fun solution to raise awareness and train employees on mental health. Thanks to quizzes, challenges, connected challenges and e-learning, the interest and commitment of the teams are maintained.
Thus, employees more easily and effectively integrate the issues, risks, and solutions to adopt to improve their psychological well-being. On the occasion of Blue Monday, we at OuiLive created the Act for Mental Health Challenge from January 1 to 31, 2025. To find out more, discover the details of our Challenge now!
