When it comes to young people with mental health issues, employers have a crucial role to play in creating a supportive and inclusive work environment. Here are some ways employers can support young people with mental health issues in the workplace:
Promoting mental health awareness: Lack of information and misinformation create space for discrimination. It is therefore important that employers actively promote mental health awareness in the workplace. This could include organizing mental health training sessions, workshops or awareness campaigns to help staff learn more about common mental health issues, reduce stigma and promote a culture of empathy and support.
Implementation of policies and practices: To ensure that the needs of young people with mental health problems are met, it is desirable that employers implement policies and practices that address mental health issues. This can include flexible working arrangements and clear protocols for supporting employees with mental health issues. These policies should be communicated to all employees to ensure transparency and inclusion.
Creating a supportive work environment: Employers should aim to create a supportive work environment where employees feel psychologically safe to discuss mental health issues and difficulties. This can be done by fostering a culture that values well-being, work-life balance and promotes self-care.
Providing mental health support resources: Ensuring employee well-being and organizational success can only be achieved with mental health support and assistance resources available. This may include employee assistance programs, hiring a mental health professional, or partnerships with organizations that provide psychological support. It is important that employees are aware of the opportunities provided by the organization for psychological counselling and have free access to the services.
Educating supervisors and managers: Very few managers have sufficient knowledge and skills to properly recognize and manage mental health problems. For this reason, it is important to provide training to supervisors and managers on how to support employees with mental health problems. This training can help them recognize the signs of mental distress and teach them to respond empathetically, providing appropriate support.
Adapting to specific needs: When it comes to young people with mental health problems who have lived in isolation for a long time, it is important that employers make efforts to support their needs. This may include adjusting work schedules, workload distribution, or temporary changes to work assignments. By being responsive to individual needs, employers demonstrate their commitment to the well-being and inclusion of young people with mental health issues.
Controlling workload and stress levels: Workplace stress can further worsen the mental health of young people with a history of mental health difficulties and problems. It is important that employers closely monitor workload and stress levels to prevent or minimize the negative impact on youth mental health. To ensure that mental strain is within healthy limits and boundaries, employers may additionally provide stress management and resilience-building resources.
A one-to-one approach: Mental health issues take many forms and dimensions and manifest differently for every young person. Employers should strive to understand the specific and individual needs of each young person with mental health problems. The advice is to approach each case with empathy, compassion and a willingness to provide assistance and support.
Confidentiality: Stigmatization and discrimination is an issues that young people with mental health problems continue to face on a regular basis. It is therefore important that young people with mental health problems are confident that the information shared remains confidential and secure. Having strict protocols in place to protect personal information and ensure confidentiality will build trust and encourage employees to seek help when needed.
By implementing these strategies, employers can create a supportive work environment that meets the needs of young employees with mental health issues. This benefits not only themselves but also organizational success as a whole.