It’s easy to tell employees to speak up if they need support due to a health issue or something going on at home. But a company needs to create the environment where people feel safe asking for support, or even better, a culture where there are proactive steps to help people with their well-being. A culture of proactive support, not reactive help.
In a previous blog post we gave employees tips on how to talk to their company when they need support during a personal crisis. But now let’s look at three things companies can do to create a culture that actually supports people’s well-being.
1. It’s not just about perks.. Yes, a gym stipend, access to online mental health professionals or time off for any health reason is a good start. But just like values, it can’t just be words in a policy or a benefit guide. You need to bring these things to life and demonstrate them with the team. Having leaders talk about how they focus on their health, creating team programs (like a step-challenge), or designating blocks of time where the whole company takes lunch or has no-meeting time (and you actually do it!) can be examples of how you bring those perks to life. That sends the signal that well-being is important to us because we live and breathe it each day.
2. Engage with your employees.. A manager is not an employee’s best friend, partner, therapist, parent, doctor, financial advisor, etc. You can’t, and shouldn’t, literally try to solve any issues your team members are dealing with in a moment. But you should care and proactively ask how someone is doing. And not just the obligatory, “how was your weekend”, but truly invest in, learn, listen and relate to the people on your team. That way you may notice if they seem off and can ask if everything is ok or if they need some additional support. Or you have created a safe space and a trusting relationship where they can ask if they need help.
3. Know your resources.. When an employee does come to you to share they are going through something and need some support, do you know what is available? If you are in HR, do you find ways to make the resources readily available to the team if/when they need it? If you don’t know, it’s ok. But be prepared to respond in the moment with empathy and active listening. Again, you don’t need to (and shouldn’t) help solve what they are going through. But can you ask if they need flexibility in their schedule, or to take some time off? If they are sharing they don’t know where to start, can you share an EAP or a benefits site they can go to? If nothing else, help them connect with HR so they can share the resources available and then partner with them to come up with the right plan.
You may not know the answer in the moment. The employee may not be looking for an answer, but just support and empathy. But as leaders, business owners and HR partners, it is our job to create a culture that truly supports well-being where we show how we care for our team and not just give lip service that looks good on a website. Whether you are a team of 5 or 500, you can start to create that safe environment today with your team by just checking in on how they are doing and building it from there.