The pandemic has led to one of the worst mental health crises the world has ever seen. As society looks to rebound, companies need to prioritize the mental health of employees.
However, at the foundation of this much-needed change of focus is the actual wellbeing of business leaders themselves.
Higher ups have also been dealing with their own fair share of increased stress over the past year, but it is rare that they are open and transparent about their struggles.
So if companies want to create a work culture that truly values the importance of wellbeing, it needs to start from the top.
According to a report from health insurance firm Bupa, 78% of business leaders reported having poor mental health during the pandemic.
Leaders need to be self-aware about their own struggles in order for companies to create an honest and non-judgemental workplace. And that also means participating in any company-wide initiatives meant to tackle mental illness.
Some initiatives have been created to address this issue, such as The Global Business Collaboration for Better Workplace Mental Health that aims to increase mental health awareness in the workplace.
Not only does this type of awareness benefit a business leaders’ own wellbeing, it allows them to identify the signs of deteriorating mental health throughout the company, and take the necessary actions to support workers who are facing obstacles.
