Mental Health Solutions for Employers

The American Psychiatric Association Foundation's Center for Workplace Mental Health estimates that the cost of depression alone to the U.S. economy is more than $210 billion annually in the form of absenteeism and lost productivity.1 People with anxiety and depression are also more likely to develop potentially costly problems with their physical health.1

Employees with high levels of stress are more likely to miss work or to show lower engagement and commitment while at work, which can negatively affect your organization's bottom line.1

Positive and supportive workplace practices, on the other hand, can boost employee physical and psychological health, company morale, and your bottom line.1

Here's some guidelines.

First: make it clear that respectful communication in the workplace is always required and is a foundational value of your company. Rude behavior always causes stress and often results in other mental health concerns, especially anxiety and depression. These have the following adverse business consequences:

• Increased mental health expenses.
• Increased medical expenses.
• Lower engagement and commitment while at work.
• More substance abuse.
• More absenteeism.
• Employees are sick more often.
• Decreased productivity.
• More turnover.
• More injuries and Workers Compensation expenses.
• Possible workplace violence.

Rude supervisors and employees do not benefit your bottom line, no matter how well they otherwise perform.

Second: recognize that, as a general rule, people do not change. When you become aware of rude, disrespectful behavior, move to terminate the employee.

Third: have a system in place for enforcing your company's 'respectful communication' rule. This can include things like monitoring radio traffic, anonymous surveys and a personnel officer designated to receive and review complaints.

Fourth: To the extent feasible, give employees options as to where, when and how they do their work. Make work expectations clear. These result in a better employee experience, higher morale and increased productivity.

Fifth: don't overwork your employees. And avoid intruding on your employees when they are off duty. These also make for a better employee experience and associated benefits for your company.

Finally: don't promote secular mental health care. It is true that employees may benefit if, what they really need, is simply someone to talk to. However, therapy is, otherwise, largely ineffective. Often it is harmful. And therapists, in accordance with their Standard of Care, usually promote the use of psychotropic drugs.

You really do not want to have employees that rely on drugs to keep themselves together—whether the drugs are legal or illegal.

1 https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/improve-employee-mental-health

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