Promoting Employee Mental Health in the Workplace: Best Practices for COVID-19 and Beyond

Abstract

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, relationships between people and their communities went through significant transformation. This transformation caused immense stress and rapid change as schools, businesses, and community spaces were closed to mitigate the spread of the virus. The workplace was one of the most affected aspects of life by the virus. Prior to COVID-19, 23% of workers who could work from home did so; whereas at the height of the pandemic approximately 70% were working from home (Parker et al., 2022). For the “essential workers” who were unable to do their jobs remotely, being on the job carried new risks of infection and illness. These workplace conditions exerted enormous pressure on employees as they had to navigate new realities regarding their health and wellbeing. In light of this new reality, the workplace is an important venue for addressing mental health issues (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). While there is some burgeoning recognition of the need to address employee mental health, the US lags considerably behind its peer nations. For example, Canada has had a national Commission on Mental Health since 2013 that includes a focus on employee mental health (Mental Health Commission Canada, 2022). This Commission has created a set of voluntary standards and resources for employers to support their employee’s mental health needs (Mental Health Commission Canada, 2022). Considering the crisis from COVID-19, it is essential that workplaces have effective strategies in place to support their employees. This article reviews current trends in workplace mental health and offers best practices for organizations. These best practices include mental health training for leaders, promoting Employee Resource Groups (ERG) for mental health, and workplace mental health campaigns to fight stigma and share information. These best practices are ones designed to both address current needs of the workplace relating to mental health and address future anticipated needs of the workforce.