Your employees are more than just the people who make up your workforce. They are unique individuals with their own ideas, lives, and sometimes, struggles. When employees go through an event or period in their lives where they find themselves overwhelmed with work and personal developments, you can step up to make a difference that supports them moving forward. If you’re wondering how to help struggling employees, here are a few ideas to make helping them possible.
Support their overall well-being with an employee wellness program.
Corporate professionals who find themselves working in front of a computer all day and commuting to and from work lead a largely sedentary lifestyle. This type of lifestyle can cause numerous health issues over the short term and long term, which only builds upon the current issues they’re struggling with. Instead of allowing this to permeate your workplace culture, set up your own employee wellness program. The benefits of employee wellness programs are myriad, as they allow you to engage your employees with employee wellness challenges, reimburse them for their gym memberships, and enhance their health and nutrition education. Put simply, a great employee wellness program gives your employees all the tools and benefits they need to take better care of their physical health and mental health.
Create a better benefits package that covers their mental health.
Some insurance companies don’t offer extensive coverage for therapy, which can make it hard for those who need it most to get support. One way you can help your struggling employees and any other employees who may go through similar issues in the future is to offer insurance that covers counseling. Many insurance companies not only help pay the bill for seeing a therapist but also offer access to resources like teletherapy for those who may not be able to find the right psychologist near them.
To further support your employees, you could also go the extra mile by creating your own directory of mental health providers online and nearby. For example, if an employee is dealing with specific issues with their childlike behavioral problems or substance abuse, you can direct them to organizations that offer family therapy virtually to adolescents dealing with these issues. From the comfort of their own home, your employees can then get the treatment plan their children need to meet their own unique needs. No matter where you may be based in the United States, there are always resources you can turn to so that you can help your employees.
Find ways to make their workload more manageable.
No matter what your employee is going through, the two of you can work together to find a way to make work less stressful for them as they work on improving their mental health. This may include trying to find ways to reduce their workload or offering them tips to make their workday more efficient so that they don’t find themselves inundated with tasks and stressed about tomorrow. If they feel as though they’re lost in their career or they don’t know what they’re working toward, sitting down with them to speak about their goals and create a plan of action can be helpful as well. When it comes to your employees, there are plenty of ways you can offer them help when they need it.
As an employer, you can make sure that your employees are getting the attention and care they deserve when they’ve fallen on hard times. If you don’t know where to begin, however, the concepts above act as excellent starting points to make sure your employees have what they need to succeed no matter what obstacles they find themselves faced with.