Experts offer guidance on promoting mental well-being at work

As part of NJBIZ’s latest virtual discussion , leaders from New Jersey-based organizations delved into the issue of mental health in the workplace.

Moderated by NJBIZ editor Jeff Kanige, the June 25 panel featured:

• Darian Eletto, chief clinical officer, Behavioral Health, at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center , a Rutgers clinical affiliate in Paramus that is both the largest hospital in New Jersey as well as the state’s biggest nursing home.



• Natalie McVeigh, managing director of EisnerAmper , a full-service accounting firm with offices in Iselin, Mount Laurel, Princeton and Woodcliff Lake;



• Dr. Gary Small, chair of psychiatry at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, a member of the state’s largest and most comprehensive health care system, Hackensack Meridian Health;



• Alexis Totaro, vice president/administrator of mental health services at Christian Health , a Wyckoff-based nonprofit health care organization offering senior living, short-term rehabilitation and mental health services.

 

During the 90-minute roundtable discussion, panelists spoke about developing a culture that supports and values good mental health, as well as useful benefits and resources employers can provide. Participants also talked about the importance of training management and supervisors to recognize signs of distress. Strategies for reducing stigma and encouraging self-care were highlighted as well.

Besides having a positive effect on the culture of a business, employees who are happy and healthy can help the bottom line since they show up ready to work and be productive. But mental health is a growing challenge for the workplace. The share of workers around the world struggling with symptoms of anxiety or depression hit 41% in 2021, up from 11% in 2019.

As a result, employees are demanding greater mental health support. A 2022 study from the American Psychological Association found that 81% of employees consider it a key priority for their future employers.

In response, many companies have invested in new mental health initiatives or boosted existing ones, like peer-to-peer support programs, counseling benefits or other resources. However, many employees may be hesitant to take advantage of such offerings because they feel embarrassed or worry about stigma, according to Harvard Business Review.

“We're kind of in a mental health crisis in the world right now,” Small said. “I think COVID really put it into high gear and our reliance on our social media has exacerbated it. So, in the workplace, a lot of our employees are disturbed coming in the door because that's just the nature of how it is. I think it's important to create an environment that is safe and collaborative. As a leader, you have to be aware of the clues that there’s a problem going on and have processes in place on how to deal.”

“Mental health cannot be separated from physical health,” Totaro said. “They're different sort of in theory, but one affects the other. You have to address the whole person. And I think organizations really have to be smart in looking at how employees are treated and how their work life balance plays out for them. I think we all have to commit to ensuring that we're taking the best care of our employees that we can.”

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Totaro believes it is important to ensure employees are given “the best chance at a work-life balance and leading by example.”

“You really have to allow people their downtime. And then promoting wellness at work,” she said.

Eletto said, “I really think that when we talk about being leaders in health and wellness, it’s a trickle-down effect. We have to lead by example. So, I think that when it starts at the top, it helps create the culture.”

“Our relationship with our staff is everything. If we don't have a relationship with our staff, how can we hope to understand what's going on in our institution, what the culture is and how we can change that culture if the culture is maybe not the healthiest,” she said.

Making the rounds

However, if an employee’s mental health issues begin to impact performance, it must be addressed in a way that is respectful and compassionate, panelists said. As part of a healthy culture, they encouraged regular engagement with employees to promote a positive environment and identify issues sooner.

“We all have bad days, but someone that's struggling may have a change in their pattern of behavior and performance," Totaro said. “Maybe they’re coming in late, maybe they’re not getting things to you in a timely manner, or maybe they just look sad and withdrawn or quite the opposite.

“In a nutshell, it’s really knowing your employees and extending empathy and kindness and then allowing the time that they need if they're struggling with something to address their issues,” she said. “I think we could do better in orientation to alerting supervisors and managers how to recognize the signs of a team member that's struggling.”

As Eletto stated, “It's so important for us to have that face time to make that effort to be on the units and talk to the staff When our staff is happy, our consumers are happy because they’re receiving better care. So, it really does benefit everybody when we take that time.”

McVeigh said, “As an end result, people have to feel known And one of the simplest ways to do that is either the beginning or the end of the meeting, just say, ‘How are you?’ And then kind of lean in a little deeper.”

“And after you've shared a little bit, it's human nature for them to share back too. Now, of course ... we don't want to cross certain lines, but people do want to be seen and feel that they're seen. And we do want to start having these proactive conversations before we're at the point of ‘I'm putting you on a personal development plan because you're underperforming,’” McVeigh said, “We want to start this as an early journey before it's problematic.”

Small agreed, saying, “The one-on-ones are important, but in a large organization there's a lot of them and it's just impossible. So, you have to figure out some kind of a structure where there are certain people that you do have the one-on-ones and you look for other opportunities to connect with people throughout the organization.”

He went on to say, “Otherwise, it just gets to be business as usual and people don't want to come to work and just feel that they're on the factory floor just passing on widgets. They want to have that human connection with everyone.”

People have to feel known And one of the simplest ways to do that is either the beginning or the end of the meeting, just say, ‘How are you?’ And then kind of lean in a little deeper.

Natalie McVeigh, managing director, EisnerAmper

Empathy may not come naturally to all managers or supervisors, but panelists said leadership can learn how to behave in a manner that’s more compassionate.

Small said, “There’s a whole range of personalities in the world and some people are naturally more empathic than others, but you can teach empathy And even though it's challenging for some individuals, you can model it and you can actually work with them on it.”

Eletto added, “It really does circle back to the idea of developing and putting in the thought and feeling to our leaders, our workers and our employees. It’s so important to have that mentality because it gives back and it feeds into the organization.”

A culture detox

If a company is dealing with a toxic work culture, panelists believe it’s possible to change but takes time to foster an environment that’s healthier.

McVeigh said, “Leadership has changed over the years They’re used to the idea that emotions have no place in the workplace. So, part of it is education, part of it is behavioral change And in my experience, when we do cultural change in organizations like this, it's very rare that actually you have to get rid of all the entrenched managers. They believe they're actually doing leadership, right? Because they saw that model. We just need to give them a different pathway.”

Small explained, “I've been in several situations where we did have somewhat of a toxic environment in a unit and so forth. And it takes time to change the culture and sometimes it's just a natural turnover staff. I mean, the previous employees who preferred the authoritarian leader decided to move elsewhere.”

Eletto said, “Small things create a cultural shift. Our hospital, about seven years ago, went through a huge cultural shift and part of that cultural shift was people just saying hi to each other in the hallways. Something as small as that makes such a difference because especially coming from leadership, to know that you can say hi to your CEO, your senior staff, your managers, your middle manager, anybody can say hi to each other in the hallway and you can be greeted with a smile.”

“Yes, it’s something small but it’s important to understand that we have to do these things so we can help our staff know what the mission of our place of employment is and what do we stand for. And that comes from the top. We have to emulate that and we have to also educate on that,” she said.

A healthy professional environment must also include boundaries between work life and home life, panelists agreed. “We want to have our staff understand that at the end of the day, we’re human,” Eletto said. “And, if there’s something we can do to help support them in their professional, as well as personal life, we’re happy to do that. But, also understanding where that boundary is of ‘What can I help with, what can I not help with?’ And helping them understand that very clearly.”

McVeigh said she believes employees must also take it upon themselves to set their own boundaries especially since the balance between professional and personal has been affected by the spread of hybrid and remote work. It’s also incumbent for them to learn good coping skills for handling stressors. “I think underpinning a lot of this stress isn’t actually the stimuli in certain occasions. It's how we respond to the stimuli. So, it's not to say that heavy workload or your boss being a jerk isn't challenging. It is what we do with that. That's why people talk about mindfulness or meditation,” she explained. “And so yes, you can wait for your employer to change it, but you can also be that change. You can be that positive social contagion by doing your work, sharing it with your colleagues and your peers, and sharing it up as well. Don't wait for them to fix this for you. You might be waiting a long time.”

Flexible arrangements

The discussion also addressed the question of how to support the mental health of a workforce that is split between in-person, virtual or a mix of the two. Part of that involves determining what kind of work model best fits the organization, panelists said.

“There’s pros and cons of remote versus onsite,” Small said. “I’m an advocate of a hybrid approach because of those pros and cons. If you're working from home, you have the advantage, you're not commuting, you save time, you are closer to your family. It may be easier to get a workout in or some me time, but you're not having those face-to-face connections. It's a much greater impact when you meet with your team in person So I think it's mixed and we've got to tailor it to the needs of the organization and the needs of the individual.”

Eletto added, “I think we have to be so mindful of boundaries and for those whose work and home is the same place, how do I differentiate those two things? And saying ‘these are my work hours, this is what I’m on and this is when I’m focusing on me.’ I know that’s very difficult And there is such a thing as an oversaturation of technology. We’re seeing that a lot in our kids and our adults with everything that’s coming out post-pandemic.”

When it comes to creating supportive work environments, panelists believe employee assistance programs can be effective. McVeigh encouraged companies to work with their human resources departments to help employees understand what’s available through their health insurance or employee resource programs.

“Maybe you have ‘Wellness Wednesdays,’ where they can come in and the HR people can chat on some of the tools they can use. You do that every week, it’s recorded and then people can go back to it,” she said. “Sometimes it's not that the resources aren't there, it's that we don't feel encouraged to use them.”

Small said, “The pandemic has reduced stigma about mental illness to a degree but it's still there. There's no question. It's stigmatized. People perceive it as a weakness.

“So, I think we have to be aware of that and try to deal with it because people aren't getting the help that they need. Half of people who need treatment do not get that treatment, either they don't have access to it or stigma and fear nihilism, any number or all of the above,” he explained.

Eletto said, “I think when we talk about the workplace, these things become a little bit more sensitive not because there’s stigma attached but because our staff might experience some internalized stigma. If I go to my leader and I say, ‘Hey, I'm really struggling,’ are they going to start to doubt my capabilities? Are they going to doubt my ability to finish my projects and be responsible?

“We have a responsibility as leadership to also have these conversations and let our staff know, ‘Hey, these are the resources that are available. No questions, no comments, no concerns, but just please know this is available for you if you would like it,’ she said.

For small businesses that do not have formal employee assistance programs in place, panelists believe there are other ways they can support a positive environment.

“Regardless of the size of the company, we can always invest in our employee’s wellness,” Small said. “It could be something as small as saying, ‘Hey, have you tried a free app or some guided meditations?’ Do you have a full-blown EAP? Maybe not. But there are things that are relatively easy to do. Like saying, ‘Hey, this therapy group is in our network’ or ‘Perhaps you can have some luck with this website.’ There’s always something that we can do. Especially during the pandemic, we had to get so creative in taking care of our mental health and find new ways to take care of each other. So, I think we can always find a way to be creative.”

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