Negative attitudes towards mental health in the workplace can pose a significant barrier to productivity. A harsh and unsupportive work environment can result from discrimination and stigma, which lowers employee engagement and well-being. Employees who are labelled because of mental health status may experience difficulties in finding and keeping a job, as well as fewer job opportunities and lower salary. Additionally, employees who experience mental health difficulties may be less productive, less engaged, and less motivated than their colleagues who do not have these issues.
We will thoroughly discuss how mental health affects productivity
- Negative attitude and worker productivity
Workplace productivity and negative attitudes are becoming the top worries of business owners. Because a company’s betterment is in the hands of its employees. We will elaborate this through a study “The American Psychiatric Association shared these figures: employees with unresolved depression suffer a 35% reduction in productivity, contributing to a loss to the U.S. economy of $210.5 billion a year” (Silver Cloud).
- Increased absenteeism
Another effect of mental health difficulties in intense workplace environments is employee absenteeism. The likelihood that a worker may miss work seems to be higher for those who are dealing with mental health issues. It is obvious that an absent employee causes problems for everyone who has to complete the work they’re leaving behind, including you. “Absenteeism is a consequence of mental health issues, whether external or internal. This not only creates a problem for management but for other employees who are then left with additional workloads.” (Everymind, 2020)
- High turnover rates in a company with toxic culture
An employee is the heart of a company, if the employee is not doing well then the company will go through a difficult situation. It is mainly due to the toxic culture of that organization. If any of its employees is going through a mental issue, he is being labelled by his co-workers. This will definitely result in the resignation of that employee and the given tasks to that person will remain undone; it will increase the workload of others. Employers who fail to provide support and accommodations for employees with mental health conditions may ultimately pay a price in terms of reduced productivity and profits
Steps to improve mental health and productivity
We can improve mental health and productivity through following ways:
- Arrange mental health session
By arranging mental health sessions, the company will work on the employees with mental disorders. This will also help a company in building a positive attitude towards its employees and it will increase their work interest.
- Change the work culture
A worker’s mental health is significantly impacted by this. Switching to a more positive culture is a terrific way to address the issues with mental health that these cultures cause. You should be aware that a more productive workplace generally results from a better company culture. This is generally advantageous for managing your organization.
- More employees for workload
Many companies struggle with the issue of overloading an insufficient number of employees. This leads to excessive tension and the rise of mental health issues within the organization as a result of stress. This is why you need to hire enough people to handle the workload you’re asking of them. You have the option of hiring these employees yourself or assigning the task to a reputable staffing firm. In either case, having enough staff to handle the workload relieves your employees’ burdens.
Conclusion
Generally , negative attitudes towards mental health can have a big influence on productivity and employment. Employers can assist in reducing stigma and discrimination. They should support and accommodate workers with mental health disorders by developing a welcoming and inclusive workplace culture. As a result, productivity, job happiness, and employee well being increase.
