What Should HR Know About Mental Health?

Mental Health includes the social, emotional and psychological well-being of a person. According to a Cigna survey issued in March 2019, Singaporeans are among the most stressed at work globally, with nearly one in eight believing their stress is unbearable. In such a scenario, the HR department of the company has a crucial role to play. Apart from managing work and business strategy, HR managers also look after the employees’ mental health. Please keep reading to find out how they do so!

Managing Stress at Workplace

The primary purpose of HR professionals is to ensure that the employees do not feel mentally stressed out due to work pressure or changes in the workplace. Managing the payroll to ensure proper payment on time, ensuring a smooth transition between recruitment and termination of employees, checking up on the well-being of workers and help maintain a healthy work atmosphere are some of the key duties of HR. 

Being More Empathetic 

As an HR, it is essential to listen to the employees and act as a guide. Listening to their problems is an ideal way to understand the kind of issues going on in the workplace. For that, the HR professionals need to be patient while dealing with workers facing mental health problems and help the person in a non-biased way. 

Eliminating The Stigma

One of the reasons why people cannot talk about their mental well-being is due to the fear of being stigmatised. The HR personnel should understand that being mentally unwell requires proper attention and care, and it is not something that can go away on its own. Embracing mental well-being as an essential part of life and encouraging talks about it would ensure an unbiased and healthy work atmosphere.  

Proper Training

The HR department should attend workshops to understand what kind of assistance to provide to employees suffering from mental stress. They can also arrange for Employee Assistance Programmes for those with a mental disorder, provide telephonic consultation or even set up counselling sessions within the office. 

Looking after employees’ mental health is essential for the HR professional to maintain a healthy work environment.