For World Mental Health Day 2024, the theme set by the World Federation of Mental Health, is: “It is Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace”.
According to Mental Health America, mental illness is more common than cancer and lung and heart disease COMBINED. Given the negative impact mental health challenges can have on employee morale, workplace integration and participation, and work product, employers nationwide should take action to ensure they are offering adequate support for those who may be need mental health support, including providing reasonable accommodations at work.
Employers should also implement and/or recirculate information about Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offerings, which provide employees with free, confidential counseling from trained professionals, consider offering wellness days to employees, and make sure managers are trained in how to recognize needs and requests for accommodations so that employers can timely and properly engage in the interactive process.