We spend a huge portion of our time in the workplace, so of course, a bad work environment could contribute to employee’s declining mental health. Knowing whether this is the case in your business and what you can do about it is imperative to your success and keeping your employees healthy and happy. 

Below, you’ll find a few signs to look for that could indicate your business is damaging the mental health of your team:

Your Employees Are Not Engaged

Your employees need to be engaged with the work they’re doing in order for it to be high quality and rewarding for them. Doing an employee engagement survey results analysis can help you to figure out what’s going on and what you can do to ensure your employees are engaged with the work. 

Work Is Low Quality/Late

If work is of low quality or late regularly, then this is a good sign you could have a problem. You should not always assume that it’s because the employee is an issue. It could well be something to do with the workplace environment and how it is affecting them. 

Staff Take More Sick Days

Happy staff tend to take fewer sick days. Staff who are struggling with their mental health due to the workplace will take more sick days – sometimes because they are sick (usually due to a weakened immune system from things like stress), and sometimes just because they need to take a mental health day or two.

You’ve Noticed Behavioural Changes 

Noticing behavioural changes in staff is a huge sign that something else is going on behind the scenes. You may notice the following:

• Irritability
• Apathy 
• Exhaustion 
• Poor memory 
• Loss of confidence 

However, other signs may be present that could indicate a problem. 

You’ve Noticed A Change In Appearance

Perhaps you’ve also noticed a change in appearance. The employee may not be taking care of their appearance like they used to, and you may even notice sudden weight gain/loss. 

How To Help

If you feel like an employee may need help, don’t just leave them to it. Broaching the subject can be tough, but it’s crucial if you want to help them – you have a duty to care for your employees. You should attempt to keep the chat both positive and supportive. Keep your body language open, and take the employee seriously. You shouldn’t offer advice like ‘be positive’ as this is rarely helpful and can diminish how the employee is feeling. You should ask questions to get an idea of what is going on with them, such as:

• How long have you felt like this?
• Is there anything we can do to help?
• How are you feeling at the moment?
• What work-related factors have contributed to how you feel? 

Make sure you give your employee your full attention and pay attention to the things they don’t say too. Clues might be in their tone of voice or body language. It is your responsibility to ensure the workplace is not to blame for an employee’s decline in physical/mental health. Show them they matter by doing what you can to help.