In the past four years, workplace culture has completely changed. Thanks to the COVID-19 Pandemic, more people have begun working from home on their own time, increasing mental health awareness in the workplace. The widespread adoption of remote work has brought about many changes within the corporate culture and has reshaped many of the traditional notions of the workplace. Employees were able to create their schedules for the most part, allowing many to create their own work-life balance.
The importance of employees’ mental health was emphasized because of the remote work environment as well as the stress on everyone due to a global pandemic. Employers began to recognize the need to address these issues that many were facing, and the majority of employers quickly began to take action, providing resources, support systems and other programs to help destigmatize the conversation of mental health around the workplace.
The shift in mental health awareness has not only benefited employees but has also helped reshape corporate culture as a whole. Companies actively addressing mental health concerns are showing a commitment to employee welfare and creating a culture of understanding, support and empathy. This has caused an increase in loyalty, job satisfaction and overall morale among employees.
It can no longer be acceptable for companies to expect employees to put their jobs above their mental health and happiness. Promoting a healthy work-life balance is essential to a successful company, and the interconnectedness between mental health and productivity should be enough to prompt organizations to invest in improved well-being programs. The old corporate culture that emphasizes productivity over well-being is over; after all, you cannot have high productivity without healthy well-being.
