Physical and Mental Health: Enhancing Employee Well-Being

Any definition of career development involves words like professional, progress, employee, life, goals, advance, workforce… Reading between the lines or digging deeper, career development also involves self-improvement, opportunities, strengths and weaknesses, etc. So, where does the individual’s physical and mental health fit? Perhaps through the process of living career development or the attention of a career development professional, an individual might push physical and mental health to the forefront of the definition of career development. There can be no argument about the value of attention to health when the goal is to enhance the well-being of workers.

~ Melanie Reinersman, editor@careerdevelopmentalliance.com

Photo by SEO Galaxy on Unsplash

FOCUS ON: Stress Management

Work-related stress has been shown to have a negative effect on physical and mental health. In particular, cardiovascular health suffers when employees report experiencing work-related stress (see this Wiley Press Release). Likewise, depression and anxiety can increase in workers experiencing stress leading to decreased engagement and productivity. Solutions may be found through workplace intervention studies to identify, develop and implement effective stress management strategies. Communication, empowerment, and a safe culture aid employees’ health. Read more in these business and management articles.

GENDER IN THE WORKPLACE: The Mental Health of Women

A recent study involving a Mental Health and Well-Being survey (Bourgeault et al., 2021) revealed significant gender differences in terms of work stress (higher for females), rates of absences (higher for females) and self-perceived work stress (higher for female professionals, specifically teachers and professors). These findings match the trends found in literature, in particular how the life stress of women, adverse working conditions and challenges with work-life balance contribute to the self-reported poor mental health of women. Read the full study.

FOR PRACTITIONERS: The Use of AI

Not surprisingly, artificial intelligence (AI) is used to aid career development as people search for help with interviews and finding a purpose in life. Improving one’s physical health is another practical use of AI (e.g. apps for meal planning or workout routines; see this Texas Health article).  As a way to learn mindfulness or cognitive behavioral therapy, AI may be beneficial to mental health. However, AI may also exacerbate loneliness and the disconnection to human support. Read more about the uses of AI sourced from a Harvard Business Review study.

CAREER SPOTLIGHT: EAP

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) support workers’ physical and mental health through such services as nurse advice lines and substance abuse counseling. Organizations typically provide either in-house direct services or contract with stand-alone vendors. The Employee Assistance Professional Association (EAPA) website lists jobs for those interested in holistically supporting workers. Sample jobs include such titles as EA Service Manager for a school district, Worklife Analyst for a health solutions company and an On-Site Counselor for a health services organization. Most positions require a master’s degree and training in EAP, workplace issues and organizational dynamics. Referring employees to EAPs may identify the intervention needed to resolve personal problems affecting work. Read more from EAPA and SHRM.

TOP TEN: Ways to Support Mental Health in the Workplace

The first step to any support is removing the stigma, which aids the second step: creating a culture of respect, encouragement and support. Expanding wellness programs beyond the physical health focus to include psychological, social, emotional, financial, and spiritual also is important. Read all ten ways, including how the manager and provider can be vulnerable and show they care.

QUOTES

"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live.” ~ John Rohn

“Improving the health and well-being of [workers]…offers a “win-win” all around. Employees benefit from better support for their health. Companies benefit from less absence and improved productivity. And society benefits from improved public health.” ~ Steve Flanagan

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