Collaborative care: Mental health awareness is a shared responsibility

At a time when stress is hard to avoid, managers and employees are sharing the responsibility of making sure that mental health issues don’t take hold in the workplace, and, if they do, are handled with care and compassion.

“We have a collective opportunity to care for each other,” says Nadia Younes, Zurich’s Head of Employee Experience, D&I and Wellbeing. “We spend a lot of time working with our colleagues and the pandemic has really shown us the value employees place in feeling cared for and in caring for one another.”

During the pandemic, many employees working from remote locations are facing a variety of challenges, anxieties and perhaps a sense of isolation, according to Ms. Younes. But, she adds, remote working is not in and of itself the cause of these things. “It’s how we’re working remotely.”

“Leaders can help by setting clear expectations around priorities, deadlines and deliverables and then empowering employees to take the flexibility they need to manage their work and home lives effectively,” Ms. Younes advised. COVID has introduced a lot more uncertainty into everyone’s lives. The more leaders can show appreciation and be mindful not to overload employees with too many competing priorities, the more likely employees will be able to sustain high levels of motivation, productivity and resiliency during the pandemic and beyond. There is a lot to manage at work and at home for many of us these days so seeking out resources or help to keep mentally healthy (as well as physically, socially and financially since we know these can be interconnected) is something we are providing a variety of resources for across Zurich.

Balancing influence and concern

Employees feeling stressed or anxious should feel free to speak up and seek guidance, she notes, which is a big step towards removing the stigma around mental health challenges. And while managers are learning to be more receptive when employees express concern about their mental health, they can also play a big role in making the work environment a more preventative and supportive place.

Managers are being coached to recognize signs when employees are affected by stress, anxiety or other conditions, Ms. Younes explains. While helpful, that approach needs to be combined more systematically with coaching managers how to create healthy, collaborative and inclusive work environments. It is certainly right to be concerned about the mental health challenges employees are faced with today and managers can do a lot to ensure that the work environment supports mental health. More emphasis is needed on what she called a “circle of influence rather than a circle of concern.” Managers and leaders have a lot of influence on how employees experience the workplace.

The pandemic has really shown us the value employees place in feeling cared for and in caring for one another.

 

Long before COVID-19, Zurich developed a global holistic ‘Wellbeing Framework’ that provides Zurich employees with the tools and resources to help them stay healthy and empowered. Zurich supports measures that encourages its employees to create a brighter, healthier future together and to grow in the four dimensions of wellbeing – physical, social, mental and financial. Among its aims is to reduce the stigma of mental health issues and foster health-promoting work environments. The framework provides advice on such activities as exercise and healthy eating to promoting inclusiveness and flexible work arrangements. Mindfulness sessions and financial workshops are also promoted.

Awareness of mental health challenges was heightened by the recent observation of Mental Health Day, a global recognition of the importance of destigmatizing mental health challenges and taking steps to prevent and manage them. Zurich believes such awareness should remain in place every day, year-round, and has put in place a number of initiatives at its locations around the world that help employees and managers prevent, identify and address mental health challenges (see related story).

Attention is overdue

“In general, mental health has been the last of the wellbeing topics to be addressed, largely because of the stigma and fear,” says Ms. Younes. Instead, physical wellbeing has been the initial focus for most companies. “There is more willingness to openly discuss and tackle mental health challenges today than in the past and that’s a good thing”.

Ms. Younes knows firsthand the stigma and fears around mental health challenges, having grown up with a parent that struggled with depression and bipolar disorder. Because there is both a “nature and nurture side to mental health challenges,” she worried at one point in her youth that she might be at risk for issues that her mother has struggled to manage much of her life.

Because she has a high-energy approach to life, she wanted to ensure her often commented upon energy level was not due to any potentially hereditary mental health condition and Ms. Younes confidentially sought testing to be sure while in college. A campus psychologist concluded that her energy level was not a reason to be concerned, leaving her both relieved and much more aware of the need to address the stigma of mental health.

“There’s not a family anywhere that hasn’t likely been touched in some way by mental health,” she notes. “In all of our lives, life sometimes comes at you full on and whether this exacerbates an existing mental health condition or just temporarily disrupts your life and challenges you, there is no shame in seeking support that can help you be healthier and happier.”

It has taken employers a while to “lean into the discomfort and the need to destigmatize mental health challenges,” she said. “Destigmatizing is the right place to start. It’s important to remember that anyone may benefit from needed mental health support at some point in their life and the support may even help them build future resiliency.”

It’s time for each of us to ask tough questions about how we are helping or hurting the focus on mental health, Ms. Younes advised.

“Are you contributing to the mental health and wellbeing of those in your circle?” she asks. “Each of us has a role to play as we pass through this pandemic. We all need to stay vigilant and committed to our own self-care and willing to help others wherever we can.”