4 Steps Reduce Turnover & Burnout
According to data supplied by the American Psychiatric Association, employees with unresolved depression experience a 35% reduction in productivity, contributing to a loss to the U.S. economy of $210.5 billion a year in absenteeism, reduced productivity and medical costs.
Besides it being best for your bottom line to care about the mental wellness of your employees, it’s also life-saving. But managing the day-to-day tasks of your business can make it difficult to prioritize the mental health of your team.
The Treasury hosted Katie Lenhart of 988 Oklahoma to share simple ways leaders can focus on the mental health of their teams. She shared some valuable insight about how to care well for the mental health of others without spending a fortune on education or programs. Here are some of her tips for employers who are ready to reduce turnover and burnout:
Start with prevention, not treatment. Mental health is physical health, so start taking a more holistic approach to your team’s overall wellbeing. Encouraging employees to keep gratitude journals or take walking meetings, for example, can have a tremendous impact.
Pay close attention to what is causing stress on your team. For example, if you find everyone is using Sunday to prepare for a Monday morning meeting, that’s a good sign to move your Monday meeting to a time the team can prepare during regular work hours. Encouraging team members to keep one or two days per week meeting-free can be a big stress-reducer.
Invest in their care. Have an Employee Assistance Program or health insurance that covers mental health treatment.
Train yourself and others in your organization. Oklahoma Mental Health & Substance Abuse offers three free educational courses of varying time commitments:
Are You OK? is a two-part online workshop series to prevent suicide catered specifically for management.
Talk Saves Lives is a suicide prevention program for anyone and can be online or in-person.
Mental Health First Aid is the most robust program offered to equip leaders to compassionately handle mental health challenges
ODMHSAS can help you take advantage of those programs or task someone on your team with them if you’re looking for long-term solutions to the turnover and burnout your organization is experiencing related to mental wellness. And, of course, always encourage anyone in crisis to dial 988 to get judgement-free help.