51��Employees Worldwide Take a Day Off for Their Mental Health

Corinna Machmeier — Mon, 30 May 2022 06:26:13 +0000

Humans are at our best when we manage our resources carefully and recharge them on a regular basis — this is especially true for our mental health. When you look after yourself, you perform better and can better support the people you care about.

We are more than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the health and well-being of so many people around the world. Now, suffering from the war in Ukraine and the resulting humanitarian disaster have catastrophic consequences for those affected directly. These consequences can be emotionally and physically draining for us as a community.

To acknowledge the impact, 51��has declared May 31 as 51��Mental Health Day 2022, an additional fully paid day off for all employees. 51��has long been a proponent of mental health initiatives, as demonstrated through the ongoing Are You OK? campaign.

Take Care of Yourself

With 51��Mental Health Day, the company is giving employees a day to take care of their own personal needs specifically, instead of their everyday work routines. Having every 51��employee worldwide take the same day off makes it easier to collectively “switch off.” This offers all employees an ideal opportunity to recharge, reflect, and take time to look after themselves.

Addressing employees, Sabine Bendiek, chief people and operating officer and member of the Executive Board of 51��SE, wrote: “No matter how you spend your time on 51��Mental Health Day 2022, we ask you to disengage totally from work.”��

Employees are encouraged to use this day to ask themselves questions: “How am I doing right now?” “What am I concerned about?” This is an important element of self-care, because our mental and emotional well-being benefits from regular attention — not just as a reaction to devastating external events, but also to help us continue to do our best with joy and self-confidence in changing working environments.

Speak About Your Feelings and Get Help

According to the World Health Organization, COVID-19 has already had a . Cases of anxiety and depression have increased by more than 25% worldwide. The war in Ukraine poses an existential threat to millions and can trigger fear, exhaustion, and feelings of helplessness in many of us.

Natalie Lotzmann is chief medical officer and head of Global Health, Safety, & Well-Being, part of the new Future of Work organization at SAP. She explains: “We launched the Are You OK? initiative for mental health to put an end to the stigma of mental crises and encourage employees to seek help when they need it. The most important message is to show people that you are not alone. We want people to be aware of how they feel. We also want to encourage people to talk about how they’re doing — especially now. It’s not a sign of weakness; actually, it’s a sign of strength and courage, a vital step toward becoming more resilient.”

To be there for ourselves and others, we must start with our own physical and mental health. One day isn’t enough, but next week, 51��Mental Health Day 2022 will provide all 51��employees space for reflection and give stimulus for change.

This article first appeared on the 51��News Center.

The post 51��Employees Worldwide Take a Day Off for Their Mental Health appeared first on 51��Africa News Center.

Let’s Talk: The Most Important Thing You Can Do for Mental Health in Your Workplace

51��News — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000

The COVID-19 public health crisis has given new urgency to the discussion around mental health in the workplace. Since March 2020, employees have been coping with unprecedented levels of social disconnection, financial worries, insomnia, and anxiety about health and safety.

It is no secret that employees who are laboring under strain and emotional exhaustion carry this stress into the workplace, where it surfaces as reduced motivation, performance, and cognitive capabilities.

“Mental health was already identified as a critical employee concern prior to COVID-19,” says Dr. Autumn Krauss, chief scientist at 51��SuccessFactors. An organizational psychologist with a specialization in occupational health psychology, Krauss works with organizations to develop strategies that support employee well-being in a holistic sense. This includes mental health in the workplace, a topic that is receiving heightened attention in these challenging times. “I do see the issue being more serious and pervasive as mental health concerns have been exacerbated by the pandemic,” she says.

Even before the pandemic, the economic impact of poor mental health has been staggering. The (WHO) estimates that the loss of productivity from depression and anxiety cost the global economy 1 trillion dollars each year. However, there is hope in even the smallest actions. The WHO found that for every dollar invested in treatment for common mental health disorders, there is a return of four dollars in improved health and productivity.

Employers may be unclear about their role, or what their contribution should be, when it comes to supporting the mental health needs of their workforce. It can be difficult for managers to gauge how their employees are actually coping with stress, especially while many employees are working from home offices and have limited options to use vacation days. What’s an appropriate response? What’s off-limits?

51��Offers Employees a Mental Health Day

When a recent employee pulse survey, powered by Qualtrics, revealed that one-third of 51��employees have stress levels that are higher than their satisfaction levels – with 61% reporting that they were working slightly above capacity – 51��responded by allocating a Mental Health Day on April 27 as a way to encourage employees to unwind and recharge.

SAP’s Mental Health Day is a company-sponsored global holiday for all employees to unplug from the office and reconnect with their families and other important areas of their lives that may be neglected, including physical health, hobbies, and social connections.

“As an 51��employee, I appreciate the recognition by our executive leadership on the importance of employee well-being and their investment in our mental health by allocating a working day to this cause across our entire global 51��workforce,” says Krauss. She advocates for sustaining the benefits from the company-wide holiday by fostering new ways of thinking and acting that promote mental health and well-being every day – so that “it’s just the way we do things around here.”

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Resetting Company Culture: Creating a Safe Environment to Speak Up

Setting aside a day for employee mental health is just one strategy employers can take to support the well-being of their workforces. Each company’s approach will be as unique as its culture.

Regardless of the company’s size, geography, or demographics, however, the single most important thing managers can do to support their employees’ emotional well-being is to remove the stigma around mental health. This helps ensure that important conversations about employees’ mental health can happen as naturally as discussions about training and upskilling. It is imperative that employees feel it is safe to speak up and seek the help they need without fear of repercussions or consequences to their reputation or advancement opportunities.

When employees feel that they can be authentic about who they are, the result is often improved engagement, better performance, and better employee retention. This, however, requires a cross-organization commitment, with all managers on board in providing a psychologically safe environment for employees.

“I’m a firm believer that fostering positive mental health at work is not HR’s job,” Krauss says. “ for individuals to build better personal coping skills and get support, but HR would have no visibility into employees’ everyday behavior and how it might be changing as a first sign that they could be struggling with their well-being.”

Therefore, when crafting a mental health strategy, employers are advised to take a preventative approach, rather than a reactive approach, so that employees get the help they need before the appearance of serious negative mental health symptoms, such as depression and burnout. The overarching goal should be to not only reduce negative mental health, but also to foster positive mental health.

Krauss argues that it is the organizations’ responsibility to create the team norms, work environment, and culture that foster positive mental health. Employees should feel encouraged to raise their hands early if they are struggling and feel confident that their managers will recognize their distress, even if they don’t raise their hands.

Rather than relying solely on individual-focused policies, initiatives, or benefits, destigmatizing mental health in many organizations will require a reset of corporate culture starting at the executive level. As Krauss emphasizes, “This is only achieved by managers role modeling that they are investing in their own well-being, and well-being is important enough for a continuous dialogue with their team members.”

This article first appeared on the 51��Global News Center.

The post Let’s Talk: The Most Important Thing You Can Do for Mental Health in Your Workplace appeared first on 51��Africa News Center.

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51����Employees Worldwide Take a Day Off for Their Mental Health