Today, October 10, is World Mental Health Day. This year, the theme is “It is Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace,” as the World Health Organization (WHO) focuses its attention on mental health in the workplace. It encourages workplaces and organizations to protect the mental health of their employees.
People in the labor market spend the majority of their waking hours at work, or an average of 168 hours per month in the Icelandic labor market. Therefore, it is important to examine the impact of the work environment on the health of employees.
Can workplaces do anything to nurture their employees and promote their well-being?
Workplaces can actually do a lot to promote employee well-being, whether it is physical, mental or social well-being. It is important to consider employee well-being holistically, as investing in the best chair is not enough if at the same time undesirable communication behaviors or chronic stress are ignored. Are there any factors in the work environment that drain employees’ energy and have a negative impact on well-being? Can we possibly help improve employee well-being with a nurturing work environment and what does a nurturing work environment entail?
Employees who feel good at work show better performance, experience less stress, are less likely to experience symptoms of burnout and generally take fewer sick days than employees who feel bad at work. Employee well-being reduces employee turnover. Therefore, it is important for companies to ensure that their employees feel good, and employee well-being should always be a priority for management.
In the workplace, it is necessary to work systematically to ensure positive communication, strong collaboration, clear processes and channels of communication, strengthen management and create a healthy workplace culture. In this way, we reduce the likelihood of conflicts. It is equally important that employees feel that they belong, that their opinions matter and that they receive support from colleagues and managers.
A healthy work environment is a shared responsibility for everyone in the workplace. Together, let’s create an environment that promotes employee well-being, both at work and at play. Let’s take care of each other, improving employee well-being starts with ourselves – we all have an impact.
