Better support your employees' mental health

You may not know where to start when supporting employees that are struggling with their mental health but there are a few key things you can do to help. These tips and resources can help you set up your employees for success and build a culture that values mental health:

Ask specific questions about wellbeing 

Questions like “how are you?” often don’t prompt a sincere answer. Try to be more specific, especially when having one-on-one meetings with your employees. You can start with questions like:

• Is your current workload manageable? If not, are there any adjustments that would help?
• How are your current stress levels?
• Do you feel like you’re getting the support you need? Is there anything that would help you to feel more supported?
• What would help you to feel more fulfilled at work?
• Is there anything on your mind that you’d like to share?

Keep their trust

Don’t share information that’s been shared in confidence. Whether you know an employee is utilizing resources, taking time for their mental health or sharing sensitive information with you as they seek your support, maintain their trust by keeping the information to yourself. Their struggles shouldn’t be turned into gossip.

Model desired behaviors

It can be hard to talk about your own mental health and you may not feel comfortable sharing certain details at work, but small gestures can set the stage for future conversations. Let your employees know when you’re under extra stress or when you’re taking a day off to recharge your mental health. It’s one thing to say that you care about mental health and it’s another to show your employees that you care. When they see that you prioritize your own mental wellbeing, they’ll be more likely to do the same.

Offer them support

You can support your employee by actively listening, being sincere in your responses, and shifting responsibilities or expectations where appropriate. Building in flexibility to your team when possible and knowing which tasks can be shared by others ahead of time is a big help. Unless your employee specifically asks for your advice, don’t feel like you need to offer any. They may just be looking for someone to listen. Your employee may also approach you about a reasonable accommodation. Read our post on understanding reasonable accommodations to better understand what they entail.

Point them to resources

Your employee may need support from a mental health professional and there are a number of resources that can help them. All full-state employees and those in their household have access to the Optum Employee Assistance Program. The service offers 8 free face-to-face EAP counseling visits with a licensed therapist available per issue, per year. These tools and resources are available 24/7 and are completely confidential. No information is shared with their employer. Individuals that call are paired with a clinical social worker, professional counselor, psychologist, or marriage and family therapist who best fits their needs and concerns. Optum EAP can also help employees find long-term mental health support.

Employees can access Optum EAP by:

Phone: (800) 886-9747 (24/7 support)