Mental Wellness Promotes Productivity, Happiness, and a Meaningful Workplace Experience
There are a variety of definitions of mental wellness. In a piece by Mike Nichols posted in Opinion, he addresses one definition by Dr. Jane Myers of the University of North Carolina. Dr. Myers, one of the founders of the concept of mental wellness, describes it as a holistic approach in which mind, body, and spirit are integrated purposefully with a goal of living life more fully, achieving optimal health and well-being, and a concern for optimal functioning.
Nichols adds to the definition by including self-awareness, self-understanding, and self-focusing so that a healthy balance can be maintained in all areas of life. In other words, mental wellness can be likened to mental well-being and should be viewed from the perspective of living a happier, more meaningful life.
Mental wellness in the workplace refers to the organizational systems in place to ensure employees are treated with respect, kindness, fairness, and value for who they are and their contributions to a positive workplace culture.
According to a study by Culture Amp, depression and anxiety have a significant economic effect with the estimated cost to the global economy is $1 trillion per year in lost productivity.
Harassment and bullying at work are commonly reported problems and can have a substantial adverse impact on mental health. The good news is that for every $1 put into scale-up treatment for common mental disorders, there is a return of $4 in improved health and productivity.
Ethics of Wellness in the Workplace
I have previously blogged about the ethics of wellness in the workplace. It has become an important concern for Millennials and Gen Z workers, and employers because of how it could affect workplace behavior. There are many reasons for this, but, first, here is an overview of the topic. I admit to downloading it from AI. I have found that AI provides some basic information on a variety of things that are useful in developing a more comprehensive blog. Perhaps this is the way a college instructor should use it in class.
AI says, “Ethics and wellness in the workplace are deeply intertwined, with ethical practices fostering a positive environment that supports employee well-being, and strong wellness programs demonstrating an ethical commitment from leadership. Key ethical considerations include protecting employee privacy, ensuring fairness and equity in wellness programs, and maintaining transparency, while wellness initiatives should go beyond superficial perks to address root causes of stress like workload and work-life balance.” The objective is to enhance the well-being of employees. This can be done by following these principles.”
Ethical Principles in Workplace Wellness
AI identifies the following workplace wellness ethical principles.
- Leadership commitment: Leaders must model ethical behavior and communicate the importance of both ethics and well-being to set the standard for the organization.
- Transparency: It is crucial to be open with employees about how wellness programs work, what data is collected, how it is used, and who has access to it.
- Privacy and confidentiality: Protecting sensitive employee health information is a fundamental ethical and legal obligation.
- Fairness and equity: Wellness programs should be designed to be inclusive and accessible to all employees, regardless of their background, and avoid discrimination or stigma.
- Respect for autonomy: When designing financial wellness programs, for example, organizations should consider the autonomy and privacy of their workers.
- Balance: There is an ethical duty to balance the company’s financial needs with the well-being of employees. This includes weighing the impact of long hours, high targets, and psychological stress on individual lives.
How Wellness Programs Support Ethics
AI points out how wellness programs support ethics.
- Build trust: A genuine commitment to employee well-being fosters trust between employees and the organization, reinforcing the belief that the company is also committed to ethical business practices.
- Reduce unethical behavior: When employees feel supported and have access to resources, they are less likely to engage in or tolerate unethical behaviors.
- Promote a positive culture: Ethical and supportive work environments reduce stress and burnout, leading to increased employee morale and a greater willingness to speak up about ethical concerns.
- Improve performance: Ethical climates, supported by wellness initiatives, can lead to better employee performance and job satisfaction.
There are a variety of ways to implement ethical wellness. Managers should carefully consider the following to promote well-being.
Implementing Ethical Wellness
- Invest in mental health: Provide access to mental health professionals and resources and openly discuss mental health to reduce stigma. As previously stated, the problem here is not every organization provides optimal mental health benefits.
- Promote work-life balance: Implement flexible work arrangements that support wellness by considering the needs, individually, of each employee. Consider whether to allow employees to work remotely.
- Provide stress reducers: Encourage taking time off to help employees manage stress and prevent burnout.
- Ensure fair policies: Establish fair and clear policies that protect employee rights and ensure fair treatment.
- Train managers: Equip managers with the tools and training to support their team’s well-being and to listen to employee concerns without fear of negative consequences.
- Focus on root causes: Move beyond superficial perks to address systemic issues like workload and unrealistic deadlines that impact employee health and morale.
Risk Factors for Mental Health
The following risks to mental health in the workplace are:
- Inadequate health and safety policies.
- Poor communication and management practices.
- Limited participation in decision-making or low control over one’s area of work.
- Low levels of support for employees.
- Inflexible working hours; and
- Unclear tasks or organizational objectives.
Organizations must be committed to employee well-being and build a culture to support it. This means putting resources into well-being programs, involving employees in decision-making, especially when it impacts their well-being, having the leadership model respect, kindness, and fair treatment of all employees, building challenges that enhance self-fulfillment, and creating ethical expectations for the organization with respect to promoting positive aspects of well-being and controlling for the negative. This may include providing an anonymous hotline for employees to raise issues of concern that affect their well-being.
The well-being survey conducted by Culture Amp reports both good news and the not-so-good news. First, for the good news:
- 85% of those surveyed feel what they do at work is worthwhile.
- 79% feel that they receive support from people around them.
Now for the bad news:
- 48% feel fresh and rested for work each day.
- 48% feel they can’t accomplish what they need to within normal work hours.
Ethics and wellness in the workplace are deeply intertwined, with ethical practices fostering a positive environment that supports employee well-being, and strong wellness programs demonstrating an ethical commitment from leadership. Key ethical considerations include protecting employee privacy, ensuring fairness and equity in wellness programs, and maintaining transparency, while wellness initiatives should go beyond superficial perks to address root causes of stress like workload and work-life.
To create a culture of wellness in the workplace, employers should set an ethical tone at the top that promotes the well-being of themselves and others. Organizations should develop strategies to enhance wellness, policies to carry them out, and the systems necessary to monitor compliance. More than anything else, ethical leaders should be developed who can effectively implement wellness programs that treat others fairly.
Blog Posted by Steven Mintz, PhD, Professor Emeritus from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. To learn more about Steve’s activities, visit his website: www.stevenmintzethics.com.