Why it is both a human and organizational issue
Mental health at work affects absenteeism, presenteeism, quality, innovation, and employee retention. In addition to direct costs (treatment, sick leave, hospitalizations), there are significant indirect costs (reduced productivity, disorganization, replacement, and training). The earlier an organization takes action, the more it can limit the impacts.
The factors that weaken
- Workload and pace: unrealistic goals, constant emergencies, frequent interruptions.
- Uncertainty and pressure: unclear expectations, conflicting demands, tight deadlines.
- Social climate: tension, incivility, harassment, discrimination.
Work organization: low autonomy, poorly defined roles, cumbersome processes. - Management: lack of recognition, rare feedback, unresolved conflicts.
Work–life balance: spillover beyond - working hours, constant availability expected.
- Fairness and prospects: perceived equity, training, mobility, career progression.
These factors accumulate over time. It is their intensity and duration that increase the risk of mental health issues.
Consequences to watch for
- For activity: delays, quality defects, slower decision-making, reduced creativity.
Detecting early warning signs
- Unusual lack of motivation, significant performance fluctuations.
- Social withdrawal, irritability, repeated conflicts.
- Difficulty concentrating, unusual mistakes.
- Increase in short sick leaves, difficult returns to work.
- Direct expressions of overload or exhaustion.
The goal is to listen without judgment, guide individuals toward appropriate resources, and adapt working conditions accordingly.
A four-part action plan
Prevent through organizational action (primary prevention)
- Simple and anonymous assessment based on major categories of psychosocial risks: support, culture, leadership, respect, skills, development, recognition, participation, workload, engagement, work–life balance, and psychological and physical safety.
- Workshops by job or team to connect experiences, operational constraints, and data (absences, turnover, incidents).
- Quarterly roadmap: clear priorities, one person responsible per action, a defined deliverable, and a measurable indicator.
Equip frontline management (secondary prevention)
- Basic training: identifying warning signs, conducting supportive interviews, referring to appropriate resources, managing conflicts.
- Key practices: clarify expectations and priorities, regulate workload, establish recognition rituals, structure meetings and working hours.
- Clear escalation pathway to internal expert functions (HR, employee representatives, occupational health).
Adapt work and secure individual situations (tertiary prevention)
- Individual adjustments when necessary: revised objectives, flexible hours, measured remote work, peer support, or adjusted task distribution.
- Easy and confidential access to existing listening and care services (internal or external).
- Gradual return-to-work process after sick leave, with realistic goals and scheduled follow-up meetings.
Build a culture that breaks the taboo
- Clear stance from leadership: legitimacy of the topic, confidentiality, non-discrimination, right to raise concerns.
- Simple and well-known reporting channels, identified contacts, and response timelines.
- Operating principles: right to disconnect, structured meetings, zero tolerance for toxic behavior.
- Measured transparency: share aggregated trends and ongoing actions — never individual data.
Measure little, but regularly
Indicators to track every 4 to 8 weeks:
- Absences: frequency, average duration, recurrence.
- Presenteeism: self-reported through mini-surveys (2–3 questions).
- Turnover: voluntary/involuntary, tenure at departure.
- Work climate: eNPS, sense of belonging, perceived workload, clarity of priorities.
- Management: completion of interviews, participation in training, conflict resolution.
- Reports: incivility/harassment, processing time, aggregated outcomes.
Ten concrete actions over 90 days to protect mental health at work
- Appoint a mental health / psychosocial risks (PSR) representative and a small project team.
- Communicate a commitment charter (confidentiality, non-stigmatization, access to support).
- Launch a short anonymous pulse survey (5–7 questions).
- Open a simple and traceable reporting channel.
- Train managers in early detection and referral (short format).
- Review the meeting schedule and set clear time limits.
- Hold a weekly workload and priorities check-in per team.
- Document a brief conflict management procedure.
- Make internal and external support resources visible.
- Launch three targeted corrective initiatives (e.g., overload, incivility, role ambiguity) with defined deliverables and deadlines.
Internal Policy Model (Excerpt)
- Purpose: prevent psychosocial risks (PSR), protect mental health, and address high-risk situations.
- Principles: confidentiality, non-discrimination, right to report, duty to act.
- Roles: managers (detection/regulation), HR (process/support), mental health representative (coordination), employee representatives (monitoring), occupational health (prevention/advice).
- Process: report → assessment within 72 hours → action plan → follow-up until resolution.
- Prevention: regular surveys, workload reviews, annual training.
- Sanctions: zero tolerance for harassment and retaliation.
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