5 Ways Bosses Can Reduce the Stigma of Mental Health at Work
From the Harvard Business Review comes these five ways managers can help drive a more empathetic culture in regards to mental health:
- Pay attention to language. We all need to be aware of the words we use that can contribute to stigmatizing mental health issues
- Rethink “sick days.” If you have cancer, no one says, “Let’s just push through” or “Can you learn to deal with it?” We need to get more comfortable with the idea of suggesting and requesting days to focus on improving mental as well as physical health.
- Encourage open and honest conversations. It’s important to create safe spaces for people to talk about their own challenges, past and present, without fear of being called “unstable” or passed up for the next big project or promotion.
- Be proactive. Not all stress is bad, and people in high-pressure careers often grow accustomed to it or develop coping mechanisms. However, prolonged unmanageable stress can contribute to worsening symptoms of mental illness.
- Train people to notice and respond. Most offices keep a medical kit around in case someone needs a bandage or an aspirin. We’ve also begun to train our people in Mental Health First Aid, a national program proven to increase people’s ability to recognize the signs of someone who may be struggling with a mental health challenge and connect them to support resources.
Read the whole article at https://hbr.org/2019/02/5-ways...ental-health-at-work
As a boss/manager, how to you foster a culture of mental health empathy in the workplace? As an employee, are there things you do to encourage grassroots change?