Global innovations in workplace mental health programs
A truly healthy workplace must offer more than just monetary benefits to its employees. In order to successfully maintain for itself an efficient and healthy workforce, it must function with compassion, making healthy work-life balance, a non-negotiable. Corporate mental health and self-care for employees are the pillars on which such balance is built.
What are corporate mental health programs?
Corporate mental health programs are mental health strategies designed and implemented by particular workplaces and organizations in order to prevent burnout of their employees and ensure employee wellbeing.
Innovative corporate mental health practices
Workplaces around the globe have come up with unique approaches to ensure workplace wellness. Not only are they effective and vastly improve job satisfaction, but they are also easy to implement. Have a look at some of them:
Guided self-care for employees
In addition to sick leaves, certain companies grant their employees, self-care leaves or mental-wellness leaves which can be availed for reasons of emotional and mental wellbeing. InMobi provides its employees with 21 additional leaves that can be availed at any time for reasons of personal wellness. Its ‘No-meeting Fridays’ policy ensures employees do not carry new work into the weekend. Similarly, EY conducts seminars for employees on self-care topics like sleep and nutrition.
Digitally detox and re-socialise
When applied together, digital detox and re-socialize strategies can function as a double-edged sword to ensure employee wellness. Server Central Turing Group asks employees to turn off their communication after work hours. Similarly, Volksawgen’s servers do not route emails to employees from 6:15 to 7 am. Whereas, some companies encourage their employees to get together and socialize after work or during team picnics. Sometimes, this includes talking openly about their struggles which is a commonplace practice at We Are Social which helps the company to provide unique solutions to the employee’s unique problems. Combined, the strategies of digital detox and re-socialization are extremely effective for employee wellness.
Cutting-edge digital tools
Digital tools are online tools that are easily accessible and provide mental health, organizing, and self-care support for individuals. Workplaces must make such tools available to employees free of cost.
Online workouts
Some companies stress physical fitness for mental health. As part of its ‘Exercise program’ EY, a firm, offers live daily online workouts to its employees. PwC also offers fitness, mindfulness, and yoga classes to its employees. Amgen offers virtual gym classes.
Other tools
UK’s National Health Services has partnered with a meditation app called Headspace to provide its employees with free subscriptions to its services. Intuit’s ‘Well-Mind program offers its employees a digital mindfulness platform with over 1000 wellness tools. Consider Manah Wellness as your wellness consulting partner. We, at Manah Wellness, offer Manahverse, an app with a range of cutting-edge digital tools including organizational dashboards, mood boards, self-assessments, and more for employers to incorporate into the workplace and ensure employee wellbeing.
Holistic Wellness Retreats
As the name suggests, a corporate wellness retreat is a company-sponsored wellness retreat, consisting of fun and recreational activities that could range from spas, hikes, yoga, golf, safari, bird-watching, sight-seeing, rock-climbing, a weekend trip to water parks, or camping. Though most companies have not incorporated them as part of the work-life balance culture, there has been increased advocacy for the same especially, post-pandemic. They reduce anxiety and burnout and may help reignite the passion for their work and the organization among employees. These retreats might prove especially beneficial for those in high-stress jobs, allowing them to detox and recharge.
Workplaces that have not incorporated any corporate wellness program, must carefully consider doing the same.
- One way to do this is to first ascertain the needs of your employees by conducting a simple survey and then developing a corporate wellness budget.
- Making a range of digital tools available free of cost for employees, would be a cost-effective starting point.
Corporate wellness programs have positive outcomes for both the employee and the employer. While the employee experience reduced burnout and anxiety and increased job satisfaction, the organization witnesses greater employee satisfaction, stronger unity, reduced turnover rates, improved morale, and a stronger company culture.