“The way your employees feel is the way your customers will feel. And if your employees don’t feel valued, neither will your customers.” – Sybil F. Stershic
The most overlooked factor in the workplace is the mental health of the employees. Many factors add to the depression and anxiety of an employee. Most of the time employees don’t express or talk about their mental issues fearing to be stigmatized as a sick person. The bottling up of their depression cost them their health, productivity, creativity, and performance.
As the world is moving ahead with technological advancement, human health especially mental health is considered to be crucial. Many multinational companies are coming up with employee-friendly policies. But still, in developing countries, this issue prevails. Employees are considered to be and expected to be working like robots without feelings.
A good and friendly working environment helps employees give their 100% performance. It is reported that a helping team boosts the overall performance of the company. An understanding supervisor is considered to be the ultimate leader to whom employees look up.
If employees are exposed to a constantly stressful environment, it will affect their professional and personal lives; eventually making employee quit their jobs. Adequate treatment, on the other hand, can alleviate symptoms for the employee and improve job performance.
Managers want to help their employees going through
Some of the major mental health issues at the workplace are:
Depression:
It is the most studied disorder in the workplace. One survey of a nationally representative sample reported that about 6% of employees experience symptoms of depression in any given year.
Depression is evident through behavior such as nervousness, restlessness, irritability, and relentlessness. It also causes physical pain as aches etc making an employee passive, withdrawn, aimless, and unproductive. Employees may also complain about fatigue and mood swings.
Researchers who analyzed employee responses to the WHO questionnaire found that workers with depression reported the equivalent of 27 lost workdays per year — nine of them because of sick days or other time taken out of work, and another 18 reflecting lost productivity. Other research has found that employees with depression are more likely than others to lose jobs and change frequently.
Bipolar Disorder:
It is another mental health issue in which a person suffers from two different moods. One is elevated or manic mood and the other is depressed. Employees also experience this disorder. In a manic mood, an employee may appear highly energetic, and creative but at the cost of productivity. He/she might make mistakes and work aggressively. On the other hand, a depressed mood will make an employee look depressive, withdrawn, and irritated. The same person experiences this disorder.
Anxiety Disorder:
it is another mental health issue in which a person suffers from two different moods. One is elevated ted or manic mood and other is depressed. Employees also experience this disorder. In a manic mood, an employee may appear highly energetic, and creative but at the cost of productivity. He/she might make mistakes and work aggressively. On the other hand, a depressed mood will make an employee look depressed, withdrawn, and irritated. The same person experiences this disorder.
Anxiety:
Every person on this earth experiences anxiety at some point in their lives. And it can go undiagnosed for 5 to 10 years. Employees experience anxiety in the workplace. They find it difficult to concentrate and worry excessively about tasks. Anxiety causes significant work impairment.
It is high time that companies and managers should consider the mental health of their employees a serious concern. Having a sense of being taken care of by top management, makes employees help in achieving the ultimate goals set by the companies.