May is Mental Health Awareness Month. As an employer, it is important to prioritize the health and well-being of your staff. Doing so will help you prevent burnout among your employees and improve productivity and morale throughout the company. Many businesses have started to include mental health days in their benefits package. Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to what you can provide your staff. How do you determine if you should include mental health days in your employee benefits?
The Rise in Popularity of Mental Health Days
The federal government has implemented safety regulations in various industries over the years. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was put into place to ensure that employers are in compliance with all of those safety regulations. Safety practices like these were not all that common 50 years ago.
Now, a new trend is emerging where employee health and safety is concerned: mental health days are being offered as part of employee Paid Time Off benefits. If you are thinking about adding mental health days to your benefits package, take the following into consideration.
Examine Your Current PTO Policies
Take a look at what you are currently offering in terms of paid time off. Most companies are only providing paid sick leave or a few days of bereavement if someone in your family passes away. However, over the last 15 years, fewer Americans have been taking time off, even if it is paid. This has led to an increase in burnout, depression, and anxiety among American workers.
A lot of this increase in burned-out employees has stemmed from their employer’s lack of understanding in terms of what is needed to maintain their mental health. That lack of understanding is costing businesses in the United States hundreds of billions of dollars a year in lost productivity.
Address Employee Workload
Employees have often cited that they felt their workload was too heavy. Employers should assess each staff member’s workload to identify where changes need to be made. They should also ensure that everyone has an even workload to establish a better work-life balance.
Improve Productivity and Morale With Mental Health Days
All of that being said, there is no wonder more businesses are implementing mental health days in their benefits packages. Generally speaking, having mental health days available will help motivate your team. When your staff is burnt out, they aren’t motivated. So, providing them with the option to take time for themselves can improve morale and motivate them on the job.
More than that, providing your employees with paid mental health days will help improve your employer brand. Work consumes a lot of our day-to-day lives, unfortunately. Acknowledging that your staff’s personal lives come into play as well is key to maintaining a positive brand image and being known as an employer who values a work-life balance.
TekCom Resources is Here to Help
The staffing professionals at TekCom can assist you with finding top talent in the telecommunications industry and beyond. We can help you establish a more manageable workload for your employees by improving your staffing, addressing benefits packages, and more. Contact us to learn more about our services.
