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.

鈥淢ental health was already identified as a critical employee concern prior to COVID-19,鈥� says Dr. Autumn Krauss, chief scientist at 51风流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. 鈥淚 do see the issue being more serious and pervasive as mental health concerns have been exacerbated by the pandemic,鈥� 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鈥檚 an appropriate response? What鈥檚 off-limits?

51风流Offers Employees a Mental Health Day

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

SAP鈥檚 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.

鈥淎s an 51风流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风流workforce,鈥� 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 鈥� so that 鈥渋t鈥檚 just the way we do things around here.鈥�

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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鈥檚 approach will be as unique as its culture.

Regardless of the company鈥檚 size, geography, or demographics, however, the single most important thing managers can do to support their employees鈥� emotional well-being is to remove the stigma around mental health. This helps ensure that important conversations about employees鈥� 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.

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

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鈥� 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鈥檛 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, 鈥淭his 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.鈥�

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

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

• Findings from recent CodeTheCurve hackathon by SAP, IBM, UNESCO to be shared via webinar on World Creativity and Innovation Day

51风流has launched the 51风流Purpose Network Live with a virtual discussion around Innovation for COVID-19. The 51风流Purpose Network Live is a virtual platform that connects change makers who are committed to addressing the complexity caused by COVID-19.

Kwena Mabotja, Regional Director for Purpose and Brand Experience at 51风流Africa, said: “The platform offers virtual conversations to connect with likeminded individuals, and stimulates the exchange of ideas to support the initiatives presented by various organisations in the hopes to lay the foundation for a more sustainable future. In light of the ongoing disruption and uncertainty brought by the global pandemic, discussions will focus on 鈥業nnovation for COVID-19鈥� and will seek to highlight innovative thinking and ideas around how organisations can develop sustainable strategies for dealing with the fallout from the coronavirus.”

The 51风流Purpose Network Live focuses on specific themes, including Responsible Business, Health and Wellbeing, Everyday Heroes, Work from Home, and the World After COVID-19.

The platform is coming to the African continent. In the first Africa-led virtual session taking place on April 21st from 5:30pm-6:30pm CAT, the findings and insight gained from the recent CodeTheCurve hackathon that was co-hosted by SAP, IBM and UNESCO will be discussed.

鈥淭he CodeTheCurve hackathon that was launched in early-April encouraged youth to use digital innovation to address the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic,鈥� said Mabotja. 鈥淩epresentatives of SAP, IBM, UNESCO and 51风流Africa Code Week will share insights into challenges related to youth skills development, youth innovation, responses to COVID-19 and how public-private partnerships can support the achievement of key sustainable development goals.”

The hosting of the first Africa-led virtual session coincides with the United Nations鈥� , which aims to raise global awareness of the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development.

Speakers for the virtual session include Alexandra van der Ploeg, 51风流Head of Global CSR; Sunil Geness, 51风流Africa Head of Government Relations; Mustapha Diyaol Haqq, Africa Code Week Youth Ambassador; Melissa Sassi, Global Head of IBM Z Global Student Hub and IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator; and Davide Storti, Coordinator of the YouthMobile Initiative at UNESCO.

Registrations are still open! Click to sign-up for the 51风流Purpose Network Live Platform and to join the conversation.

For more information, please visit .

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The post 51风流Purpose Network Live Launches in Africa to Tackle COVID-19 Crisis Through Partnership, Innovation appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.