Enterprises that focus solely on the productivity and performance of their employees often fail to consider their workers’ mental health. Workplace mental health is both a public health issue as well as an economic issue. Poor mental health subsequently leads to productivity losses that negatively affect your enterprise’s bottom line. Due to advancements in technology, investing in robust mental health benefits for your employees is far more achievable than you might think. This article explores the hidden costs of mental health in a workplace and how you can mitigate losses with a comprehensive performance management system PMS.

Reduce Employee Stress at Work

Anxious employees can adversely impact your business goals. Anxiety is usually fuelled by the fear of underperforming or failing a particular task. This anxiety is further driven by poor communication where employees are uncertain how their contributions are helping meet business objectives. Fear of the unknown causes your employees to work in a constant state of anxiety. Poor goal setting, silos between departments, and a lack of team spirit are all factors that increase anxiety amongst your employees, which subsequently leads to poor performance and decreased productivity.

The best solution to reduce employee stress at work and improve mental wellbeing is to create an environment in your enterprise that encourages your employees with clear communication channels. The antidote to anxiety is certainty. Anxiety amongst your employees can be greatly reduced if they are confident of their place in your organization, what is expected from them, how they can meet business goals, and how their contributions benefit your enterprise. Comprehensive PMS solutions can help create this environment with employee engagement software that encourages employees to participate in enterprise-wide activities. Employee productivity feedback informs your workers about their performance and the areas in which they can improve. This approach makes your employees feel valued and supported. With a clear definition of work expectations and the support to meet them, you can reduce anxiety amongst your employees.

Impact of Absenteeism among Employees

Employees that suffer from mental health problems can experience physical and mental symptoms that cause them to miss work. The adverse effects of mental health can also drive healthcare costs, which can be up to double employees’ healthcare costs without mental health issues. Combined, these factors can pose an economic crisis for your enterprise, with a lot of capital spent on the consequences of poor mental health in your workplace.

Employees are less likely to skip work and suffer from poor mental health if they feel like they belong in a supportive environment. Comprehensive PMS solutions can leverage employee engagement measurement tools to keep track of employee engagement. If you notice a decrease in engagement, you can take active measures to address the issue at its core. Additionally, employee experience survey tools enable you to learn firsthand about the problems your workers may be facing and what you could do to rectify them. Communication must work from both top-down and bottom-up angles. It enables your employees to feel seen, heard, respected, and valued. PMS solutions can create official forums and recognized places where your employees can voice their complaints, ensuring that your enterprise will take proactive measures regarding their concerns. 

Recruitment and Re-hiring

Mental health challenges can lead to increased costs on recruitment and retention. Employees either quit or lose their jobs when affected by poor mental health in a short time, leading to higher attrition levels. Higher turnover rates mean your enterprise has to spend more money finding the right people to meet your business objectives.

PMS solutions can reduce the need for recruitment by providing clear outlines of business goals and manageable workloads for your employees. Your PMS platform can keep track of employee performance and provide comprehensive training programs if your employees are underperforming. Rather than simply replace employees, you can utilize various tools in your PMS solution to encourage and motivate your employees to bring their work back up to scratch. It saves you the financial burden of constantly recruiting new employees and fosters gratitude in your employees, who will feel supported and valued.

Related E-book: Employee Engagement – How to Do it the Right Way?

Final Words

Mental health is a complex subject that is gaining more prominence in recent times, especially in the wake of a global pandemic. While mental health issues are far-reaching and severely impactful, you can use performance management solutions to mitigate the effects of poor mental health in your workplace, as demonstrated in this article.

Also Read: How to Increase Employee Engagement in the Workplace?