May is Mental Health Month, but if you ask me, mental health is a year-round concern and one that business leaders can no longer afford to ignore. Many factors contribute to compromised mental health on the job, but increasingly, stress is a key factor.  

Nearly Half of Workers Report Stress on the Job

A recent survey of 2,843 professionals carried out by LinkedIn found that nearly half (49%) of workers experience stress on the job. Drivers of stress include a compromised work-life balance, lack of confidence in one’s future job prospects, and lack of direction.

Members of Generation X are most stressed out on the job and most concerned about their job security. Their Millennial counterparts are least stressed out, but this isn’t to say they aren’t stressed. Finally, the LinkedIn study found that as people move up the ladder, stress levels only increase. Added demands, more abstract thinking, and a higher level of responsibility are all factors.

How Stress Contributes to Other Mental and Physical Health Issues

According to the American Psychology Association (APA), stress has an impact on our mental and physical health. Specifically, the APA notes, “chronic stress can result in serious health conditions including anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system.” Drawing on evidence-based research, the APA further reports that stress can contribute to the development of major illnesses, such as heart disease, depression, and obesity. Research also shows a correlation between both acute and chronic stress and addiction.

The High Cost to Organizations

If you think that workplace stress isn’t costing you and your organization, think again. Last spring, the Journal of Occupational Environmental Medicine published a call to action on mental health in the workplace. Among other findings, the call confirms a link between stress and productivity. In fact, research shows that there are more workers absent from work due to stress and anxiety than physical illness or injury.  A 2017 study by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that depression and anxiety now cost the global economy $1 trillion per year.

How to Proactively Address Mental Health in Your Workplace

Stress may be a key contributing factor to mental health issues in the workplace. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to reduce stress and promote wellness in your organization.

• Promote Employee Learning: A 2018 LinkedIn survey of 2,400 professionals found that lifelong learning plays a key role in stress reduction. As observed in the study, “Employees who spend time at work learning are 47% less likely to be stressed, 39% more likely to feel productive and successful, 23% more ready to take on additional responsibilities, and 21% more likely to feel confident and happy. And the more you learn, the happier you become.”
• Customize to Optimize (Embrace Flexible Scheduling): We are wired differently. Leaders with clear expectations who let team members decide how to execute on projects promote ownership, engagement, and autonomy. Some companies have taken this idea to an extreme and done so with considerable success. At Netflix, for example, employees are told to take off whatever time they need to take off and expected to not abuse the privilege. By and large, the program has been a great success.
• Launch a Mental Health Wellness Program: Wellness programs are already common but rarely focus on mental health. Beyond encouraging employees to be physically active, consider adding a mental health component. A wellness program that includes mental health can promote stress management techniques and may encourage early reporting of more serious mental health problems.

The first and most important step is to destigmatize mental health in your workplace. As a leader, you can do this by taking steps to start openly talking about mental health in your workplace. Deloitte is already doing this. Like many U.K.-based companies, Deloitte is increasingly putting mental health on its workplace agenda. They are doing this with awareness campaigns, targeted employee programs, and training initiatives.

Whatever your first step may be, remember that if you’re in a leadership role, just talking about mental health openly can have a tremendous impact.