Employer Resources

Promoting Mental Health in the Workplace: A Competitive Advantage

You're probably concerned about your employees' health and wellness.  You may also have an interest in promoting a healthy work environment and also worry about the expense of providing mental health coverage for your staff.  These are all valid concerns.

But there are many reasons why addressing your workforces' mental health makes good business sense.  A growing body of research shows that employers' costs due to staff mental health problems are far greater than just the costs of the mental health service bill.

This information sheet provides statistics on medical costs, productivity gains and reduced absenteeism that will help you make the business case for pro-actively addressing mental health and mental illness in your workforce.

Intervention Strategies for Supervisors: What to do when you think someone on your staff might have a mental health problem

In the best of conditions, supervising staff can be a complicated and stressful role.  When it appears that an employee may have a mental health problem, many supervisors are unsure of what actions are appropriate and in the best interest of both the individual and the organization. 

The goal of this resource is to help supervisors assist employees in getting any needed services so they can be healthy and return to a productive work life.  To that end, this information sheet offers strategies to ensure the most positive and constructive outcomes.

Mind Your Stress- The Mind/Body Connection   

What many of us don't realize- and what medical researchers are confirming in study after study- is that our stress levels are directly related to our physical well being.  Did you know that one in four people report they've missed work as a result of work-related stress?  Most of us have felt "stressed out" at one time or the other.  When this feeling persists day after day, stress becomes chronic.  Chronic stress can take a toll on our quality of life and on our bodies, making us susceptible to a host of illnesses.  In fact, 75 percent of our visits to the doctor's office concern stress-related ailments.

This information sheet  discusses sources of stress, how stress affects us at work and strategies for managing stress.  It also comes with a  PowerPoint presentation that you can show at your next staff meeting or special event and a poster for your break room.

Signs of Depression Checklist  

Everyone gets down from time to time, but sometimes it's more than just "the blues".  Sometimes it can be clinical depression.  Clinical depression affects more than 19 million Americans each year.  It is a real illness that can be treated effectively.  Unfortunately, fewer than half of the people who have this illness seek treatment. 

This checklist identifies common signs and symptoms of depression and is available in both English and Spanish.

What to do When an Employee is Depressed  

As a supervisor, you may notice that some employees seem less productive than usual - they may often call in sick or arrive late to work, have more accidents, or just seem less interested in work.  This information sheet provides information on signs of depression, how symptoms may be recognized in the workplace and what a supervisor can do. 

Depression Cost Calculator 

Depression is a leading cause of absenteeism and low productivity in the workforce. It affects almost every company to some degree, and its costs are high. How much is depression among your own employees costing you?

Depression is a leading cause of absenteeism and low productivity in the workforce. It affects almost every company to some degree, and its costs are high. How much is depression among your own employees costing you?

The Productivity Impact Model (PI Model) can help estimate depression's costs to your company, and can also project the benefits when depressed employees receive treatment.

A Mental Health-Friendly Workplace Overview

Elements of a Mental Health-Friendly Workplace  

Whether your business is looking at its mental health friendliness for the first time or taking stock of how well current programs and practices are working, it is important to come back to these questions: What elements of a mental health-friendly workplace are already in place?  How are they working?  What are the short and long term goals?  What are the next priorities and next steps?  How will the worth of taking these steps be assessed?  This first section of this piece paints the mental health-friendly workplace in broad strokes.  The following sections provide greater detail.

Legal Issues and Employee Accommodations: ADA and EEOC Guidelines  

VII.    LEGAL ISSUES AND EMPLOYEE ACCOMMODATIONS: ADA and EEOC Guidelines (.pdf version available for download)

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law by President George Bush on July 26, 1990, prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities, including psychiatric disabilities in employment, state and local government activities, public accommodations, public transportation, telecommunications, and public services.

View Mental Health America of Wisconsin's Health and Wellness Resource Guide for Milwaukee County. A downloadable version is available to share with your employees. Or, use our online directory which contains the most up-to-date information.

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