Updated : February 7, 2024 5:10 PM IST
In this day and age, it is absolutely crucial to include mental health care for employees, especially women. Mental disorders, depression, anxiety, etc. can affect a persons work quality, productivity, confidence and identity.
Some organizations do have the resources which allow employees to access mental health care or talk to a health professional inside their work space. However, the issue is that, many employees may be completely unaware of this opportunity. Along with getting the resources, employers should make sure that people are aware about it.
The introduction of hybrid work mode and work from home model has made it difficult for people, especially working mothers, to draw a clear line between work life, personal life and also the working time and personal or family time. Due to this many women may not be able to focus on either of the things properly. Moreover, it can cause burnout, fatigue, inability to focus, mental health problems and de-motivation. It is important that organizations reevaluate workplace norms in this case. This will help working moms to transition back into work place.
Organisation often make the mistake of only prioritising work and profit over everything else and this can drive employees into feeling de-motivated, uninspired, burned out and also depressed. Along with making work a priority, mental health care MUST be prioritised. It is important that they do not such tell people that th work space is safe, they should ensure that it is safe by talking about the importance of good mental health. Open communication can not only bring awareness but also help people feel more at ease. For women in particular, it is essential that this is enforced. Many a times, women face issues at work places and they do not disclose them because they do not feel safe.
According to the reports published by CDC, women at senior levels are more likely to feel burned out than men. About 67 percent employees reported that it is a very challenging process to access care for mental health problems. And most of the women were reportedly suffering from it. This is when the employers can step in and help. It is important for organizations to partner with health experts who can help the employees. Women as well as men can access this help whenever they need to.
Along with enforcing new changes so that people feel safe at their work place, it is also important to track their progress. Only the, the organization will know whether their approaches to mental health care is effective or are they still lacking somewhere.