5 Ways Businesses in the UAE Can Support Employees’ Mental Health
Businesses can support employee mental health in many ways, including launching mental health awareness campaigns, hiring mental health professionals, promoting work-life balance, and using HR as the organization’s first line of support for mental well-being.
Employees’ mental health is as crucial as their physical health because they are directly connected to productivity and morale in the workplace. In this Pacific Prime Dubai article, you’ll find tips on supporting the mental health of your employees.
Mental Health Stigma in the UAE
Globally, there’s a common stigma associated with seeking therapy for mental health issues. This applies to people of all ages and backgrounds. Most importantly, the majority of people lack awareness of what mental health problems look like.
Culturally, in the UAE, sadness or worry are signs of a lack of faith. There’s a mentality that you would not be struggling if you had prayed enough. But that doesn’t mean those struggling mentally don’t need professional help and intervention. Thoughts and prayers alone cannot cure depression.
Unfortunately, collectivist societies, such as the UAE and South Asia, tend to refrain from talking about personal sufferings with people outside of their direct family. They are concerned about what others would say and think.
Countless Middle Eastern men also believe that asking for help is equivalent to admitting weakness. So, they fall back to worry and anger, which are seen as “socially acceptable” masculine expressions of sadness and anxiety.
What Does a Mentally Healthy Workplace Look Like
In mentally healthy workplaces, employees are allowed to thrive, creating a more engaged, productive, and supportive work culture for everyone.
Employee mental health is about the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of individuals in a shared work environment. It’s best to think of mental health as a spectrum—where employees fall on this spectrum can shift depending on workplace stressors.
These stressors, such as excessive workloads, lack of support, or harassment, can be reduced in mentally healthy organizations. Such companies create a positive work environment and often exhibit the following characteristics:
- A strong emphasis on wellbeing
- Open, honest conversations around mental health
- Mental health training available to all employees
- Respect to work-life balance
- A commitment to diversity and inclusion
Benefits of Having Mentally Healthy Employees
Having mentally healthy employees and managers can bring many benefits to both individuals and the organization. Here are some key advantages of promoting mental health in the workplace:
- Improved productivity: mentally healthy employees are more focused, efficient, and motivated. They are also better at managing workloads and meeting deadlines.
- Reduced absenteeism: mental well-being directly reduces the frequency of sick day and long-term leaves that are results of tiredness and disengagement from work
- Better team dynamics and communication: employees are more likely to communicate openly and are willing to take constructive criticism, which will create better and stronger relationships and cooperation not only among team members themselves but also with their managers.
- Lower turnover rates: a mentally healthy workplace attracts loyal employees and increases job satisfaction. Reduced burnout and stress also lead to higher retention rates.
- Positive workplace culture: mentally healthy employees contribute to a culture of support, inclusion, and mutual respect.
5 Ways You Can Support Your Employees’ Mental Health
Mental health issues may be invisible, but they can leave a real, negative impact on the body. Stress is closely related to the top six causes of death, which include heart disease, cancer, suicide, and more. Here are our top five ways to support your staff’s mental health at the workplace.
1. Start Mental Health Awareness Campaigns
Mental health awareness and prevention campaigns should be a part of your company’s internal communications. On top of that, involve all stakeholders, especially those in leadership positions. Leaders can encourage employees to get help and share how they themselves cope with problems.
For example, one study involving U.S. Army leaders showed that leaders who received training on the importance of sleep not only improved their own sleep habits but also helped their soldiers do the same.
Such an approach will change the company’s atmosphere from “we might lose our job if we discuss our challenges” to “it’s okay to talk about it.”
It sends a clear message to employees that it’s safe to talk about mental health, helping employees feel valued, trusted, and truly welcome in the workplace.
2. Recruit the Help of Mental Health Professionals
Choose your preferred way of providing professional mental health support for your employees. From an actual clinical support system to well-being seminars run by experts, there is a range of options to choose from.
Some companies provide their workers with access to a team of in-house licensed healthcare practitioners. Other companies may organize monthly employee well-being webinars hosted by third-party industry experts.
Another option is offering your employees flexible employee benefits plans that cover the cost of seeing a mental health counselor or psychiatrist. Visiting a therapist shouldn’t be a stigma; it’s a part of maintaining good health, just like seeing any other doctor.
3. Encourage Employees to Take Charge of Their Own Work-Life Balance
In today’s fast-paced, always-connected work environment, many employees struggle with stress, burnout, and difficulty setting boundaries between work and personal life. Rather than micromanaging their schedules, encourage employees by giving them the flexibility to manage their own time.
The important part is that you trust them to deliver results while allowing time and space for breaks, family responsibilities, and personal life. Encouraging flexibility will boost productivity and support a healthy, sustainable balance between their life at work and at home.
4. Create an Open and Inclusive Environment
Building a mentally healthy workplace starts with making it okay to talk about mental health. This means encouraging honest conversations, leading by example, and showing that it’s normal to face challenges.
For instance, a manager might start a team meeting by briefly sharing how they’ve been coping with stress and what strategies work for them, which can be something as simple as taking midday walks or treating themselves with a cup of ice cream after work.
When people feel safe to be themselves and share their concerns and struggles openly, trust grows. And that is the foundation of any strong, supportive workplace.
5. Provide Mental First-Aid Training to HR Teams
Train your HR teams to be mental health first aiders. Early detection is key to prevention in nearly all diseases, including mental illnesses. In fact, one-quarter of the global population struggles with mental problems within their lifetime, but most of these issues remain undetected or untreated.
Having your teams recognize problems before they snowball goes a long way in keeping your employees healthy and efficient.
Secure Corporate Health Insurance with Pacific Prime
As mental health becomes an increasingly important part of overall well-being, it’s up to companies to actively support their employees on that journey.
Offering support to those struggling with mental health not only helps them recover, it also benefits the organization through higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, and a more positive, low-stress workplace where people feel valued and safe. It’s a win for both employees and the business.
If you are looking for a flexible employee benefits or corporate health insurance plan, consider working with Pacific Prime Dubai. With over 25 years of experience in the insurance brokers industry, our employee benefits specialists are happy to provide you with tailored solutions for your company.
Contact us today for a free consultation!
Interested in learning more about the top employee benefits trends? Download our free Global Employee Benefits Trends Report for industry expert insights and practical tips on improving employee motivation.
Serena earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, Canada. As such, she is an avid advocate of mental health and is fascinated by all things psychology (especially if it’s cognitive psychology!).
Her previous work experience includes teaching toddlers to read, writing for a travel/wellness online magazine, and then a business news blog. These combined experiences give her the skills and insights she needs to explain complex ideas in a succinct way. Being the daughter of an immigrant and a traveler herself, she is passionate about educating expats and digital nomads on travel and international health insurance.
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