With 1 in 6.8 people experiencing mental health problems in the workplace, its never been more important to be proactive about mental health in the workplace. Promoting mental health increases productivity, stimulates morale, and reduces stress, making it an important step to improving your organization.

For those who don’t know where to start, here are 10 ways to improve mental health in your workplace:

1.    Discounts to Local Gyms

Offering discounts to local gyms encourages people to be active and socialize outside of work. Since exercise is known to increase endorphins and reduce symptoms of mental health conditions, giving a way as well as a cost incentive for employees to do so can lead to an overall improved mental health in the workplace.

2.    Onsite Yoga

Providing yoga classes for your employees during their breaks helps with fitness and mindfulness in the workplace. Through stretches and breathing exercises, yoga combats stress and improves your employees’ overall mental health. It promotes relaxation, which is a key component to a positive mental state.

3.    Deskercise

Implementing a “deskercise” routine employees can easily follow is another approach to encouraging mental health in the workplace. A routine that helps employees loosen up, stretch, and fix their posture at their desk is the perfect opportunity for employees to refresh and re-center their minds and bodies. Some simple deskercises include shoulder and spinal stretches and ankle rolls.

4.    Flexible Work Hours

As a flexible work hour policy is quickly becoming common, establishing policies that allow employees to work flexible hours or work from home one day a week will help increase productivity and work-life satisfaction. It reduces burnout and allows them to de-stress, fostering a healthier mental wellbeing.

5.    Continued Education Workshops

Providing continued education workshops is another way to nurture mental health in your workplace. In addition to increasing employee retention, allowing employees to improve their skills instills a sense of personal achievement, which will motivate them to be proactive both at work and in their personal life.

6.    Healthy Office Snacks

The workplace can breed bad eating habits, so supplying health office snacks encourages both physical and mental health. With such a strong link between what we eat and how we feel, having snacks that provide healthy energy for the brain—instead of sugary snacks—can go a long way in producing a positive impact on your employee’s mental health.

7.    Catered Lunch

Catering a lunch for your employees works both as an employee appreciation and mental health initiative. Catered lunches create a space where your employees can come together to eat and socialize. Having a nice break like this can break up the monotony of a workday and cultivate a positive outlook (and ultimately healthier mental wellbeing) among employees.

8.    Monthly Potluck

Having a monthly potluck, where everyone can contribute, gives employees the opportunity to interact and socialize. Enjoying an afternoon of food, socializing, and fun activities creates a shared positive experience that employees can bond over while also refreshing their outlook towards the workplace.

9.    Mindfulness Classes

Offering mindfulness and stress management classes reduces stress and fosters positive emotions. Since the way employees think and feel has a direct impact on productivity and communication, promoting these classes will help them become more aware of their thoughts and feelings, so they are better able to manage them for long-term mental wellness.

10. Wellness Day with Resources

Another employee recognition idea that benefits mental health, organizing a wellness day where employees can learn about mental health and wellness can create awareness within the workplace. Resources, such as health and depression screenings as well as outdoor fitness events, can create a foundation of knowledge and support for mental health in the workplace.

Before implementing any of these 10 wellness initiatives, we first recommend establishing a method of getting feedback. Surveying your employees to find out what is working and what is not will be extremely beneficial in improving your mental wellness programs and reducing the need for unnecessary costs.

Want to know how you can offer quality benefits that help employees become their best selves? Contact CorpStrat for more information on how we design and manage employee benefits at competitive rates.

New Law Requires Mandatory Sexual Harassment Training for All Employees

The #MeToo movement has renewed attention on sexual harassment in the workplace. California, being at the forefront of workplace protections, passed several anti-harassment laws this year. More Importantly, California’s SB 1343 which requires employers with five or more employees to provide training to all employees (both supervisory and non-supervisory) by January 1, 2020.

This new law is certainly a dramatic shift from the current requirements, which have been in place for more than a decade long, but nonetheless, a necessary one. Current law requires employers with at least 50 employees to provide supervisors with two hours of sexual harassment prevention training within six months of hire and every two years thereafter.

Now, the threshold number of employees that triggers coverage under the law has been lowered to five, and non-supervisory employees are included in the training mandate.

Ultimately, sexual harassment in the workplace is a risk that California employers simply cannot afford. Driven by high-profile sexual harassment and assault cases in the workplace, California lawmakers have taken it upon themselves to ensure most employers, even those with just a few employees, minimize their risk by requiring training for all employees.

It’s important to know that your business may soon be out of compliance with California’s new mandatory sexual harassment training for all employers with 5 or more employees.

Key Takeaways

• Employers with at least five employees must provide: (1) Two hours of sexual harassment prevention training to all supervisory employees; (2) One hour of sexual harassment prevention training to all non-supervisory employees.
• Part-time and temporary employees, plus independent contractors count toward the minimum employee count of five employees. Must be done by January 1, 2020.
• Training must occur within six months of the employee starting the position (and every two years thereafter).
• Sexual harassment prevention training may be conducted individually or as a group.
• Sexual harassment prevention training may be in conjunction with other training and may be given in shorter time segments, as long as the two-hour requirement for supervisory employees and the one-hour requirement for non-supervisory employees is met.

Contact CorpStrat to learn how our CorpStratHRPro package can help you comply – and a host of other HR related tools and services.

2022 is just around the corner, do you have your Employee Benefits in order? Remaining competitive in searching for the best and brightest job candidates who will drive business is difficult. Once you find the candidates, you have to convince them that your company is the better option to work for than your competitors.

However, there are ways for employers to take full advantage of certain aspects of their business to win the war on talent. A strategic, quality, and comprehensive benefits package can help you attract and retain your most valued assets, your employees.

According to a survey conducted by Glassdoor in 2015, 4 in 5 Employees Want Benefits or Perks More Than a Pay Raise; Glassdoor Employment Confidence Survey (Q3 2015). Employees value a well-rounded selection of benefits, and health insurance plans, a 401(k) plan, life insurance, and dental + vision coverage are a few of the plans that you can consider offering to gain a competitive edge.

Have questions? Email us now at marketing@corpstrat.com.

Popular Employee Benefit Examples

Benefits packages offer value to your employees and help you, as an employer, boost productivity and retention in a cost-effective manner. Here are a few of the advantages of offering employee benefits as part of your compensation package.

Talent-Oriented Benefits

Employees highly value a quality benefits package offers that go beyond just the minimum health insurance. Developing a strategic benefits package that invests in your top talent can help attract the right job candidates and keep your organization running at peak efficiency.

Once you have these top-performing employees at your company, providing a tailored employee benefits package will serve as a barrier to them leaving—a great benefits package can be a huge advantage when looking at retention strategies because it holds more than just monetary value for the employee.

A bigger salary at another company likely won’t be as strong a pull for an employee tempted to leave if the other company’s benefits package isn’t as attractive as yours. That’s why considering creative offerings from beefed-up paid parental leave policies to implement student loan benefits — think free college tuition, breast milk shipping services and free babysitting services — can make a significant impact in retaining top talent and increasing your bottom line.

Health and Productive-Oriented Benefits

When your benefits package includes a combination of health insurance and dental and vision coverage, you will have employees who are able to take a proactive role in managing their health. They will have easy, affordable access to health care, reducing absenteeism due to illness.

When they are on the job, healthy employees are more productive than sick ones. It’s beneficial for your company’s productivity and your employees when they have access to medical coverage and time off when they are sick.

 Providing Satisfaction

A good benefits package leads to satisfied employees with higher morale. Employees who find value in their benefits are typically more willing to commit to their company because it helps make them feel valued—which leads to increased productivity and decreased absenteeism.

 Efficient Use of Resources

Offering valuable benefits can help lower top employees’ expectations for salary. Many employees are willing to accept good benefits in lieu of a slightly higher salary.

This is an advantage to your budget because the value you present to employees with benefits, especially health insurance plans, can be monetarily equal to a raise in salary for them, while costing you less due to group rates and lower payroll taxes. Employers can avoid the hidden cost of paying extra payroll taxes on higher salary by instead offering benefits to provide similar value to employees.

 Think Long-term

Even if you think you can save a little money in the short term by skimping on employee benefits, you will eventually face the consequences through a lowered ability to attract high-achieving employees, increased difficulty retaining your top performers, and lowered morale and productivity.

Offering a quality array of employee benefits will pay off through a stronger, more productive workforce with employees committed to your company.

Working with CorpStrat will help you develop a strategic benefits package that works for your budget and offers attractive options to your employees. We can also give you access to educational materials for your employees as you launch your new or improved benefits package. Contact us at 800-914-3564 or send an email today.