A new report by UKG’s Workforce Institute found that managers have a greater influence on employees’ mental health than therapists or doctors, and an influence equal to that of spouses and partners. This may seem surprising considering that 60% of employees surveyed said their work was the most important factor in their mental health. The survey covered 2,200 employees and 1,200 managers in 10 countries.
Other striking responses from employees:
- One in three people say their manager doesn’t recognize the impact they have on their team’s mental wellbeing.
- Nearly three in four people say work-related stress has a negative impact on their family life.
- Two-thirds would take a pay cut for a job that better supports their mental wellbeing.
- A majority (70%) want their company to do more to support mental health.
Leaders and employees have very different experiences when it comes to mental health: nine out of 10 HR managers and senior executives surveyed said that working for their company had a positive impact on employee mental health, while only half of the employees agreed.
“People run organizations, so managers need to be aware (of their employees’ mental health). It’s an organizational concern,” said Tracy Curry, SHRM-SCP, director of human resources at Fearless, a digital services company in Baltimore. She sees this as a healthy sign that Employee Assistance Program (EAP) resources are being well used by Fearless’ 250 employees.
Suffer in silence
One in five employees responding to the survey said the impact of their work on their mental health was negative. Heavy workloads and exhaustion at the end of the day were commonly cited problems. However, more than a third of employees rarely, if ever, talk about it to their manager.
Traditionally, managers were taught to avoid discussing mental health with employees so as not to run afoul of the Americans with Disabilities Act, nondiscrimination laws and privacy concerns, said John Adamcik, SHRM-SCP, director of human resources for Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina. . “If anyone needed help, they went to HR.”
This old scenario is changing, Adamcik said. Leaders should check in with employees who seem distracted, tired or stressed. Beyond human anxiety, an overwhelmed employee will be less engaged, productive and innovative, and more likely to leave.
Today, managers are often encouraged to share their challenges and strategies for coping with stress to model work/life balance for their team. By being open about stress, managers send the message that employees can talk about their problems without stigma.
“It’s old school to separate personal and professional life,” said Linda Dahlstrom, executive at a Fortune 500 company. “The manager should view you as a whole person, recognizing that (employees) have a lot of things to do outside of work. It’s about respecting who people are.”
But the growth of remote work has made it difficult to maintain contact, said Ellyn Pollack, a supervisory programs analyst at the U.S. Census Bureau who has also managed people in the private sector. “People feel more connected when they can actually see each other, so it’s important to turn on the camera during meetings on a Teams or Zoom call,” she says. Bonus: See your coworkers’ pets, kids, and home office spaces.
Start the conversation
Managers should not force a discussion. Instead, they should try to gain employees’ trust and let them know that they have a safe space to share.
While showing compassion and concern, respecting employees’ privacy is also important, Pollack said. She recommends that managers regularly remind staff of available employee support services. “It allows them to seek help while maintaining their privacy,” she said.
Adamcik suggests this gentle, caring approach for an employee whose performance has declined: “That’s not like you. I’m not trying to push, but is there anything work related we can help you with?
When Dahlstrom was a newspaper editor early in her career, she managed a reporter who delivered impeccable copy on time. When she started seeing a lot of mistakes in his work, she simply asked him how he was doing.
The employee revealed that his wife was terminally ill with multiple sclerosis. At night, he got up every two hours to change position because of bedsores.
“It changed everything,” Dahlstrom said. “When you see someone acting out of character, something might be happening that we can’t even imagine.” Once you know what’s going on, you can offer support and changes, she added.
“Be proactive in asking your employees how they are doing,” Curry echoed. “Check in briefly if they’re having a bad day. You can talk about “what” without “why” to avoid making the person uncomfortable.
“Don’t try to play therapist,” Curry added. She stressed that managers and human resources professionals should not pursue the issue further, but rather refer the employee to an EAP, where staff receive clinical training for this purpose.
The majority of employees (81%) sent a strong message via the Workplace Institute survey to UKG that their mental health was a higher priority at work than their salary.
“Today’s employees are looking for a caring environment. A caring culture will win in the area of recruitment and retention,” Adamcik said.
Eve Glicksman is a freelance writer based in Silver Spring, Maryland.
