Priorizing Mental Health at the Workforce
Revealing the steps we take at Leeford Healthcare for the well-being of our team
Stress, anxiety, and burnout are no longer issues that affect your personal life. They are acting as silent disruptors that have been making an impact at your workplace. The results are loss of productivity and decreasing engagement. This even strains relationships among the team members. Unfortunately the corporate world globally is still at a dilemma on how they can address this crucial aspect of the mental well-being of their employees. Mind you – the stakes involved have risen to the highest possible levels! Organizations that have been neglecting mental health have not just been losing billions in terms of revenue. More importantly, they are also finding that the basic fabric of their workplace culture is getting eroded. We, at Leeford Healthcare, understand the weight of this challenge. This has made us take proactive and thoughtful steps so that we can embed mental health as one of the most important pillars within our work culture.
The Business Case for Mental Health
If you believe in statistics, the situation is now at an alarming stage! An estimate recently shared by the World Health Organization (WHO) points out that the global economy is on an average losing $1 trillion per year due to lost productivity caused by depression and anxiety disorders. In any workplace that has not invested in mental health support, the common recourse for the employees is to become disengaged, take sick leave or ultimately decide to leave the company. Another survey that was conducted by a leading research organization pointed out that 50% of millennials and 75% of Gen Zers have cited mental health reasons as the prime factor for separating from their employers. What does all this suggest? The need for change is tremendous. The problem isn’t isolated; it touches every industry, including healthcare.
For Leeford Healthcare, a company dedicated to delivering quality solutions in pharmaceuticals, the impact of poor mental health can be devastating. Our work requires precision, focus, and constant innovation to ensure products meet the highest standards of safety and efficacy. Any gap in employee well-being can hinder our mission of making a global impact in healthcare.
The Ripple Effect of Ignoring Mental Health
The ramifications of neglecting mental health are manifold. It takes any of these factors like reduced concentration, increased errors, strained communication, and interpersonal conflicts to make the workplace toxic. Furthermore, mental health issues can also have a bearing on physical health. This results in healthcare costs rising while the workplace experiences absenteeism challenges. The biggest problem is that mental health issues are still associated with a social stigma. This compounds the challenges further with the employees either hesitant to seek help or feeling unsupported.
At Leeford Healthcare, we know that we are operating in the healthcare segment, which compounds our responsibility even further. Therefore, mental health risks for any of our team members has never been a light issue as we know the crucial role each and everyone of them plays for the organization. Therefore, taking care of their mental health is right up in our list of employee benefits.
Leeford’s Approach to Mental Health
At Leeford Healthcare, we don’t just treat mental health as a checkbox on a wellness agenda. Our strategies are built on comprehensive frameworks designed to create a positive and supportive work environment. Here’s how we approach it:
- Confidential Support Services:
Every employee we identify suffering from anxiety, stress, or any personal challenges is provided with access to confidential counselling and support. They are connected with licensed medical professionals that makes providing support easy and free from stigma.
- Wellness Workshops and Training:
Regular wellness workshops, stress management seminars, and mindfulness training sessions are organized. The aim is to equip our employees with practical skills. These initiatives have been proving to be very effective in improving mental health literacy. More importantly, they also encourage our employees for open dialogue.
- Flexible Working Policies:
We understand that mental health challenges cannot be managed when employees keep operating within a standard 9-to-5 schedule. This has made us adopt flexible work policies so that such team members are provided with the time and space they need. Be it through remote working options or adjusted working hours, we offer the flexibility that can enhance their well-being and job satisfaction.
- Mental Health Awareness Programs:
We know that the biggest cure to mental health starts with getting rid of the stigma or taboo typically associated with this ailment. This has made us launch internal programs that get rid of the negative perceptions surrounding mental health. Team leaders within the organization are specifically trained so that they can recognize signs of burnout at an early stage and be proactive in supporting such team members.
- Mindful Spaces:
We are also equipping all our offices with dedicated wellness zones. This is where employees can take short breaks to meditate, read, or just decompress. This is helping improve the focus of all our team members and substantially reducing workplace stress.
Ongoing Efforts to tackle Challenges:
Our journey till date has not been free from obstacles. Building a mental health-friendly culture means challenging old norms, addressing biases, and ensuring that every team member feels safe. This has taught us to remain consistent in our efforts. We are not limited to just rolling out initiatives but keep measuring and refining them.
We know that our employees are always facing unique challenges. Being committed to serving the healthcare community, they have to show immense dedication. Balancing high performance with mental well-being requires a strong foundation of trust, continuous feedback, and the courage to innovate.
Real Impact at Leeford
Our efforts have already made a difference. Since we started investing in mental health intitiatives, team engagement has witnessed a remarkable improvement. There is also substantial reduction in absenteeism with higher satisfaction scores. An internal survey we conducted highlighted that more than 85% of our employees are now more comfortable discussing their mental-well being. The impact is tangible, and it drives us to keep improving.
The Road Ahead: Building on What Works
Mental health is not static; it evolves as society and workplace dynamics change. At Leeford, we remain committed to adapting and expanding our initiatives. Be it introducing digital mental health tools to partnering with organizations that specialize in well-being, we have a clear goal. We want to create a workplace where everyone thrives.
For every organization, mental health needs to be a shared responsibility. As a company committed to making a difference in healthcare, we at Leeford challenge other organizations to prioritize well-being as a fundamental aspect of corporate culture. Together, we can set a precedent that values humanity over mere productivity, creating a healthier and more sustainable future for all.