Recent reports highlight the importance of workplace culture in addressing employee mental health. According to SHRM’s Mental Health in America: A 2022 Workplace Report, a vast majority of HR professionals (94%) believe that offering benefits can enhance workplace mental health. However, the 2023 Mental Health at Work Report by Mind Share Partners indicates that workers are seeking more profound changes than mere self-care perks. Specifically, 58% of employees rated a healthy, sustainable work culture as highly beneficial for their mental health, compared to only 35% who found self-care resources similarly helpful.
Addressing Root Causes
The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that burnout results from unmanaged chronic workplace stress. In poorly managed work environments, employees often suffer from:
Bernie Wong from Mind Share Partners explains that a company’s cultural foundation determines whether it fosters human sustainability or exhausts its workforce.
The Challenge of Cultural Change
Creating a supportive workplace culture is more challenging than implementing wellness perks. Sue Haywood of Human Resource Blueprints points out the hidden costs of an unhealthy culture, including its impact on mental health, retention, absenteeism, and long-term benefits. Changing workplace culture involves altering the values and behaviors of diverse individuals, requiring more than just superficial fixes.
Financial Value of Culture Change
Deloitte’s meta-analysis demonstrates that raising mental health awareness yields a nearly 6-to-1 return on investment (ROI), compared to a 3-to-1 ROI from reactive measures like self-care apps. Therefore, investing in cultural change is almost twice as effective as treating symptoms reactively.
Steps to Improve Workplace Culture
Embracing Cultural Change
Younger workers are particularly aware of the detrimental effects of toxic work cultures. As Bernie Wong notes, employers must either lead in fostering supportive environments or risk falling behind. Sue Haywood concludes that focusing solely on wellness apps without addressing culture is akin to an unhealthy diet supplemented occasionally with salads. A supportive workplace culture should be the core focus, with benefits as supplementary enhancements.
Balance Staffing: A Commitment to Workplace Well-Being
At Balance Staffing, our core values of Tenacity, Agility, Authenticity, and Passion guide our approach to aligning workplace culture with employee mental health. We strive to be the best in helping organizations maximize their talent while providing career opportunities that make a positive difference in people’s lives. Our mission is to balance the goals of people and businesses, matching talent with opportunities that allow both to thrive.
Our Cultural Pillars
Building a Thriving Community
We understand the power of a cohesive team and value each member’s contributions. By creating energizing workplaces, we enable our employees to facilitate opportunities for others, supporting the success of both candidates and businesses. Our internal staff is dedicated to community support and volunteerism, reinforcing our commitment to making a positive impact.
At Balance Staffing, we honor the opportunity to work with each employee, candidate, and client, balancing their goals and fostering an environment where everyone can achieve their highest potential.