“Toxic workplaces are harmful to workers–to their mental health, and it turns out, to their physical health as well,” proclaimed Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, in a  statement last October. In fact, Murthy added, workplaces should be engines for mental health and well-being.

But most employees are experiencing the exact opposite phenomenon. In a June 2021 study of 1,500 employees conducted by Qualtrics, 76% of employees report that they have at least one symptom of a mental health condition, up from 59% just two years ago. And 84% of employees say their workplace conditions have contributed to at least one mental health challenge, while 40% of workers say their employers have not done enough to address mental health.

Elizabeth Bille, SVP of workplace culture at the workplace training platform EVERFI, is on a mission to help employers have a net-positive effect on their employees’ well-being. “Employees are experiencing more challenges than ever before, both outside of work and inside the workplace,” Bille shared in a May webinar with From Day One. “And indeed, the line between our work and our personal lives is blurrier than ever before.”

Equally though, Bille noted that workers are increasingly prioritizing their mental health, “and they want to work for a company that does too.” Two-thirds of employees say that they would take a pay cut to go to a job that better values their mental health.

This state of affairs is not just bad for employees–it’s bad for business. Twenty percent of payroll costs are being affected by employee burnout, leading to poor retention and lower productivity. The good news? Investing in employee health and well-being can have a positive return on investment (ROI) to the tune of more than $4 for every $1 spent.

New Approaches for Supporting Mental Health

Traditional strategies for supporting employees’ mental health see it as a personal issue that can be addressed by benefits-centered solutions such as wellness programs and days off. In contrast, new approaches recognize that mental health challenges are workplace issues that require people-focused solutions including prioritizing a healthy work environment and team culture and forging more open manager-employee relationships.

A hallmark effort of this new approach is to address toxic workplaces. One effective strategy is to provide training that addresses disrespectful behavior, teaches bystander intervention techniques, and includes culture-building subjects like respect, allyship, and inclusion.

Another useful method to address toxic workplaces is by better aligning an organization’s values with the behavior of its employees. Bille provided some tips:

•Check your organizational values

•Ensure that your values come up in daily conversation

•Check reward and feedback systems.

•Address toxic behavior–even if not illegal, and even from superstar employees.

•Follow up appropriately on complaints.

•Hold people accountable.

It is also essential to connect an organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy with its employee mental health initiatives. “This demonstrates and communicates that everyone in our organization is welcomed and valued,” said Bille. “It helps to reduce bias, exclusion, and inaccessibility by increasing feelings of psychological safety, social connection, and belonging.” She urges employers to avoid one-size-fits-all mental health and DEI offerings while providing visible support from leadership. 

Managers Can Play a Role in Helping Employees’ Mental Health

Bille suggests that managers be equipped with tools to support their employees having challenges, such as learning to identify the major signs of burnout. Other strategies for managers include adding time to the beginning and end of meetings for checking in, proactively acknowledging challenges and how hard they are, sharing how they are feeling, and communicating genuine care and concern for employee well-being.

For managers, supporting individual employees can also have positive results. Managers can ask how their employees are doing and listen to their struggles. “Keep the door open,” said Bille. Asking how they can support employees’ self-care can go a long way–as can reminding employees to focus on the issues we can control. Additionally, prioritizing tasks and finding efficiencies in daily workflows can help promote a healthy work environment.

Managers play a critical role in destigmatizing mental health. “Share how you are feeling because it helps normalize talking about struggles,” Bille asserted. “There’s a misconception that leaders need to be stoic, and that’s actually not true. There’s a lot of literature that's been written about toxic stoicism and the harm it can cause when leaders don't show any emotion because they're trying to be strong.”

While it may seem daunting to help manage their employees’ mental health and well-being, businesses are not alone. EVERFI has a wide range of resources to help, Bille said, including an inclusive meetings checklist and a DEI facilitator workbook and scenario builder. With tools like these, it is more possible than ever for employers to prioritize their employees’ mental health and support their wellbeing.

Editors’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, EVERFI, for supporting this webinar.

Riley Kaminer is a Miami-based journalist, researcher, and content strategist. As a freelance tech writer and researcher, he has profiled more than 400 of the world’s top entrepreneurs and investors. His work has been featured in publications including Forbes, the Times (UK), the Economist, and LatAm Investor