Top public health and business leaders like Bank of America’s Chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan and CDC Foundation’s MD, President and CEO Judy Monroe, have launched new resources to help corporate America better support employee mental health; at the recent first-ever Workplace Mental Health Action Summit.
They released the suite of new resources to help employers create their own employee mental health action plans. The event was co-hosted by the Health Action Alliance and Mental Health Action Day; in partnership with the Ad Council, One Mind At Work, SHRM Foundation and the American Psychological Association (APA). The free Workplace Mental Health Playbook and Communications Tools are built on the latest expert insights; and include ‘pro tips’ from more than a dozen major employers.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and a recent poll from the APA shows that the Covid-19 pandemic and other national and world events are adding to an unprecedented mental health crisis among US adults; with a disproportionate impact on communities of colour and young people; and contributing to worker shortages, high rates of turnover and burnout. In the face of these challenges, today’s Workplace Mental Health Action Summit spotlighted leading actions that companies are taking to strengthen psychological safety at work; improve access to mental health benefits; and centre equity in their mental health strategy.
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS
The Workplace Mental Health Action Summit was a prelude to Mental Health Action Day on May 19, an open-source movement organised by MTV to drive culture from mental health awareness to mental health action. “The business community is in a powerful position to advance mental well-being by reducing work-related causes of mental health stress, creating psychologically safer workplaces; and making it easier for employees to access professional care,” highlighted Stephen Massey, Director of Health Action Alliance and Co-Founder of Meteorite. “Companies who have shared their innovative actions in these areas have helped show that taking action to address workplace mental health is also a clear path to a thriving workforce and a stronger, more resilient business.”
Leaders joining Moynihan and Dr Monroe at the Summit, are urging employers to take stronger action to tackle mental health, included Tinisha Agramonte, Chief Diversity Officer, Motorola; Maysa Akbar, PhD, Chief Diversity Officer, American Psychological Association; Chris Clermont, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Vox Media; George Demos, Chief Operating Officer, O’Melveny; Malcom Glenn, Senior Equity Advisor, Health Action Alliance; Cathryn Gunther, Global Head of Associate Health & Wellbeing, Mars; Shelie Gustafson, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, Jacobs; Craig Kramer, Global Mental Health Ambassador, Johnson & Johnson; Jim Link, Chief Human Resources Officer, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); Lars Minns, Chief Human Resources Officer, Mercedes-Benz; Lisa Sherman, President & CEO, Ad Council; Erika Soto Lamb, Vice President of Social Impact Strategy at MTV Entertainment Group; and Daryl Tol, Executive Vice President, One Mind.
WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
“MTV is thrilled to be among this highly esteemed group of organisations and companies that share our commitment to mental health; and see the urgency to take action now to provide solutions for the mental health crisis in the workplace,” shared MTV Entertainment Group’s Vice President of Social Impact Strategy, Erika Soto Lamb. “When we recognise that mental health is health, we have an opportunity to demystify, destigmatise and normalise conversations in the workplace that can not only transform how we work today; but also how future generations entering the workforce prioritise their mental health.”
“The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on people’s mental health; which will require a serious and long-term commitment from across society to address,” added Dr Monroe. “The business community is in a powerful position to help meet this public health challenge; and I’m very encouraged to see a robust response from employers to supporting workers’ needs.”
“Given the challenges of the past few years, it’s critical that our employees and teammates have the support they need for their personal well-being within the workplace,” highlighted Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. “We’re honoured to be part of the Health Action Alliance ;and contribute to the Workplace Mental Health Action Summit by sharing and learning from our peers on how to centre mental health within our workplace culture.”
PRIORITISING STAFF WELLBEING
One Mind is “honoured to participate in this Summit and partner with other extraordinary leaders in the field working diligently to improve the well-being of workers on a global scale,” shared One Mind’s Daryl Tol. “As there is no one-size-fits-all solution for addressing the mental health of employees across industries, these discussions around different resources and tools are critical in helping companies tailor the best approach for their own teams.”
The importance of putting the mental wellness of employees first “cannot be underscored enough,”shared SHRM Foundation President Wendi Safstrom. “HR professionals can play an important role in the lives of their employees by assisting them in finding the resources they need; while simultaneously reducing stigma.”
“Research shows that organisations with high levels of diversity perform better, especially when management and senior leadership have diverse representation. And those leaders can provide tools and resources to their employees that enhance their equity, diversity and inclusion efforts and knowledge; to foster a workplace culture of inclusivity,” concluded Chief Diversity Officer, APA’s Maysa Akbar.
The Workplace Mental Heath Playbook is available to all employers to download for free here.
Stress at work has reached critical levels and work is suffering, confirmed a new report, coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Month. Click here to read more.
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