Countries are seeing a greater number of mental health issues each year, and if the current upward trend continues at the same speed, this is expected to cost the global economy US$16 trillion in lost productivity by 2030, according to the Lancet Commission report by global experts in psychiatry, public health and neuroscience. The report also highlighted that this would translate into an estimated 12 billion working days lost annually.

About 64 percent of people experiencing poor mental health still come to work despite knowing it will affect their productivity. “This is what we call presenteeism. People are doing this because there’s still a great level of stigma that deters people from talking about such issues openly, but also because employees don’t have a strong awareness of their own state of mental health, or the vocabulary to talk about it as much,” said Lam. “They are also concerned about whether they will be discriminated against or [worried] it’s going to hurt their career progression in some way after they share their issues with their colleagues or boss.”

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Reports show that for every dollar invested in establishing a mental wellness programme, companies will see four times the return on their investment. “And I don’t just mean providing yoga classes or sticking a crisis hotline in an employee handbook,” said Lam. Instead, wellness programs that provide employees support along the entire spectrum of mental health are more likely to achieve positive returns.

“It's unsurprising that providing employees with the support they need improves not only their engagement at work, but it's also very attractive for your business in terms of talent recruitment and retention," she said. “Research has also shown [it's most effective to] prioritise investing in preventative interventions and efforts. Basically, you don’t wait until things get really, really bad. If people are doing well for themselves, it's about helping to sustain that level of wellness for them.” 

Making employees feel psychologically safe at work is key to supporting their mental wellbeing. This means making sure your employees feel good about coming to work, and feel encouraged and supported. “This would include things like having a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination. It also encourages a diverse workforce and ensures everyone gets a fair go. So you can imagine when it comes to mental health and wellness—this means not penalising someone for not feeling well,” said Lam.

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“It’s actually more cost-effective for you as an employer if you help people stay at or return to work. If someone was off work due to a mental health issue, one rule of thumb is as if someone’s been off due to a physical health issue,” shared Lam. “Just ask them how you can be of support, how they’d like to be supported and make sure they’re included in this conversation.”

Use data to measure your company’s current state of mental health. Quoting American professor Dr W Edwards Deming, Lam said: “In God we trust, but all others must bring data.” 

“By measuring where your company is today, you have a reference point,” she explained. “This means whatever you implement or do going forward, you’re able to ensure you achieve the desired impact or know where to improve adoption rates. The data will also help to enhance future decision-making skills," she said, flagging the importance of companies devising a way to collect and analyse the data that is also safe, anonymised and confidential.

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Lam suggested that an example of a small step that leaders can take is to start a meeting by asking how everyone is—and actually listening to what they have to share. “Err on the side of compassion, because everyone has a backstory and what you’re seeing in front of you may not be the full picture.” 

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