Let’s talk about mental health: Sick days and mental health days are OK

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From NBA player DeMar DeRozan to Olympic champion gymnast Simone Biles, professional tennis player Naomi Osaka to the most decorated Olympian of all time Michael Phelps, the world’s most talented athletes are opening up about their mental health issues. And if the greatest of all time struggle, no doubt some of our team members do, too. Consider these statistics:

• Up to 80% of people will have a diagnosable mental health condition whether they work in the C-suite or the front lines (Harvard Business Review)
• 70% of Americans have felt anxious several days a week since the start of the pandemic (Pew Research)
• Depression affects more than 16 million Americans, is the leading cause of disability worldwide and costs the U.S. economy $210.5 billion per year in absenteeism, reduced productivity and medical costs (American Psychiatric Association’s Center for Workplace Mental Health)
• 60% of employees have kept their mental health status a secret at work (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
• 85% of mental health challenges aren’t diagnosed or treated, costing employers more than $100 billion and 217 million workdays each year (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

Business leaders: Be the change

Rather than withdraw from competition, Biles would have preferred to have received proper mental health care along the way to prevent her issues from escalating, of course. Now, thanks in part to the attention she’s drawn to mental health, coaches, trainers and sports organizations are making changes to support their athletes’ mental well-being.

The same is happening in the work world, and none too soon. McKinsey reports 91% of employees think their companies should care about their emotional health and 85% of job candidates prioritize mental health benefits, ranking them above financial advising, gym memberships and free meals.

Harvard Business Review goes as far as saying mental health support is the most-requested benefit since the start of the pandemic, with more than 27,000 Millennials and GenZers saying it’s their top priority.

That means it’s on us, as business leaders, to acknowledge, understand and address mental health, illness and wellness in our organizations. To support the inner challenges our talented team members may experience and help them manage and thrive. Here’s what we can do right now:

Learn the difference: Mental illness vs. mental health vs. behavioral health

I recently learned there’s a difference between “mental illness” and “mental health.” The CDC says mental illnesses are “conditions that affect a person’s thinking, feeling, mood or behavior, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.”

In contrast, the WHO defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”

A third term — behavioral health — refers to mental and substance use disorders.

Join the bandwagon

“The next great sort of liberation movement in our society is about mental illness,” says Wharton School of Business Professor Stew Friedman. And businesses are responding, with companies like Calm launching apps to “Bring calm to your workplace” and urging leaders to make “mental fitness your newest employee benefit.” So let’s embrace and harness mental health’s moment and propel it forward with these tips:

Flip the script

Rather than look at people with mental conditions as liabilities and emotional support services as costs, consider a few surprising bottom-line benefits of investing in your team members’ well-being:

• Strong mental health boosts collaboration and creativity
• Many high performers trace their on-the-job strengths to mental conditions like anxiety
• Neurodiverse teams of people with ADHD and other conditions can be more productive and innovative

Chat it up

Even with pop culture icons sharing their struggles publicly, there’s still a stigma around discussing emotional issues in the workplace. Many people are afraid to speak up. So we need to make it safe and acceptable by initiating and incorporating conversations into our workdays. Start by teaching leaders to ask deeper questions during one-on-ones, to ask how people are feeling, really, to share and listen with intention. The point is to normalize the discussion so it’s as comfortable as talking about a sprained ankle and saying you need an ankle brace.

Speak from experience

When leaders speak openly about their challenges, it helps remove the stigma and encourages others to be as candid, building compassionate, supportive environments. Encourage your managers and supervisors to show vulnerability by letting team members know if they see a therapist, have dark days or struggle with substance use or an eating disorder, for example.

Document your commitment

Consult health and benefits professionals and legal advisors to help you define, document and distribute your mental health policy. Doing so sends a powerful message: you support and prioritize emotional wellness. You also open the door to communication each time to you discuss, share and update your policy. Be sure to include language that clearly states it’s OK to reveal a mental illness and ask for help, outlining the process for requesting accommodations. You cannot overstate that no one will ever be penalized or judged for discussing a mental struggle.

Be a role model

Most of us have strong work ethics and are driven to be productive team players, which sometimes gets in the way of taking time off. So require your leaders to model mental wellness by using their vacation days, unplugging at night and weekends, and publicly taking advantage of voluntary behavioral health benefits like yoga, stress management and mindfulness training.

Know what to look for

We shouldn’t attempt to diagnose our team members, but we should learn the signs of mental distress so we can take steps to help. Here are some common indicators:

• Change in sleeping or eating patterns
• Dramatic mood changes
• Withdrawal
• Performance decline
• Difficulty remembering, focusing, thinking or speaking clearly
• Increased sensitivity to physical surroundings
• Apathy
• Irrational thinking
• Uncharacteristic behavior, fear, paranoia

Expand mental health benefits

Consider adding services that relieve the root causes and triggers of common mental health issues like anxiety and depression: Generous paid time off for any reason, flexible hours and remote working options, support for childcare and commuting for those concerned about public transportation, and enhanced disability benefits, for example, will all help reduce day-to-day stress.

Gauge interest in a mental health resource group  

When people are struggling, it helps to connect with others who have or are going through a similar experience. Mental health employee resource groups provide safe places for team members to support each other, and their mere existence reduces the stigma of talking about emotional difficulties at work. So propose the idea and gauge the response. Just be sure to invite everyone to join the group, regardless of their emotional status, so people don’t assume every participant has a mental health condition.

Be proactive and everyone benefits

Continually look for ways to promote mental wellness in your workplace. For example, offering voluntary preventive health benefits like stress management teaches people how to manage their mental health and avoid issues down the road. These programs are also good for the bottom line: A Harvard Business Review study shows a team that went through regular mindfulness training was more creative and collaborative than the control group. And people feel loyal when their employer actively supports their mental well-being.

Seize the opportunity

In a recent WorkLife podcast, organizational psychologist Adam Grant said managers should give people permission to call in sick for mental health reasons, not just physical ones.

“We need more workplaces to be flexible and support mental health. We need more leaders to show that it’s OK to not be OK all the time. We all have struggles, and pretending they don’t exist doesn’t help people or organizations. Normalizing struggle reveals our humanity. And responding with care elevates our humanity.” Amen!

Let’s seize this opportunity to proactively promote mental wellness in our workplaces. To rewrite the narrative and build psychologically safe cultures that help our team members live and work their best whole lives.

Lauren Dixon is board chair of Dixon Schwabl Inc., a marketing communications firm, which has been honored as a Best Place to Work.