How Employers Can Support Employee Mental Health During the Holidays

Being December, the festive and holiday season is fully underway! However, there are many people who may struggle through this time of year, and it is important that employers are aware of this with their employees. This blog will go through some simple ways that employers can support employee mental health during this holiday season. 

Why the Holiday Season May be Challenging for Some

Coming to the end of the year, the holiday season can be challenging for many people, causing employee mental health to be affected. The end of year period at work can be stressful for many reasons, particularly the high workloads. Deadlines and other targets to reach can ramp up during this time of year, causing high stress for many employees. Additionally, many workers may be experiencing some personal struggles such as family stress, grief and even financial stress. Furthermore, employee mental health can struggle during the holiday season due to there being less access to support services. Many doctors, mental health professionals and other providers may be in a holiday shutdown period, therefore some people may not be able to access the support they need, especially if an employee sees a regular GP or psychologist. 

Keep Deadlines Reasonable and Achievable 

To avoid burnout and to allow for rest, employers should keep deadlines reasonable and achievable for employees. According to Beyond Blue, one of the top causes of burnout at work is “excessive or prolonged stressor related to workload, lack of support, unclear job expectations, and poor working conditions”. Therefore, in order to avoid this, it is important for employers to remain flexible and understand that a high workload and fast turnaround times may not be sustainable for employees at this time. This is where it is important to keep open lines of communication between employers and their employees. Employees should be able to discuss safely and openly with their employer if they are under any stress. By encouraging open conversations, employers can better understand what they can do to help their employees through any difficult times. This proactive approach helps foster a workplace where employees feel valued and supported. 

Promote Wellbeing Resources

It may also be beneficial to implement and encourage the use of wellbeing resources such as an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Wellbeing Checks. At Recovery Partners, we offer an EAP service that provides confidential counselling to your employees by a registered psychologist. This service can be conducted remotely or face-to-face and can support your employees through any personal or work-related issues that may be affecting them this holiday season. Furthermore, Wellbeing Checks at Recovery Partners assist organisations in the prevention of escalating psychological claims. A Wellbeing Check involves psychometric assessments and a short clinical interview to provide a clear understanding of an employee’s mental health. 1 in 5 Australians will experience a mental health condition in any given year, therefore, offering services such as these can be very beneficial for employee mental health. 

Employee Social Events

Finally, a great way to support employee mental health during the holidays is to organise some employee social events and gatherings. This would provide employees with an opportunity to wind down and take their mind off anything that may be causing them stress. This could be as simple as organising a Christmas lunch or putting together a Christmas party for your team and/or company. It is important to make these events non mandatory, as some people may find social events such as these a bit overwhelming and daunting. They should simply be on offer to employees should they wish to attend. This is a way to create an effective work-life balance and ensure your employees have something to look forward to outside of work. 

Throughout the holiday season, it is crucial that employers do their best to support employee mental health, as it can be a difficult time for many. If you or your employees require support during this time, please feel free to reach out to our friendly support team on 1300 OHS RTW (647 789) or email enquiries@rrp.com.au to see how we can support your business needs.