Mental health and wellness have unfortunately long been neglected attributes of the corporate world. However, in a business climate that places the utmost emphasis on talent retention and a focus on becoming “destination of choice” workplaces, this concept is changing quickly. As awareness of the importance of mental well-being grows (and employee burnout continues to rage), enterprises are beginning to realize that managing employees’ mental health is not just a moral imperative, but it also benefits the greater business in multiple ways.
The World Health Organization has found that one in four people globally will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives; and, the cost of untreated mental health issues to the global economy is estimated to be in the trillions of dollars. Poor mental health, from a workplace perspective, often results in disengagement, increased absenteeism, a lack of productivity, and more frequent turnover.
The movement towards focusing on corporate mental health and wellness seems to be evolving, though. Recent research from Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange discovered that 93% of business leaders actively prioritized mental health (and mental health awareness) as part of their leadership styles, a far cry from years past when this critical issue was near nowhere to be found.
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