Company Culture
Introduction
The internal culture that a company and its employees create can be a major reason employee mental health declines. That’s why creating a culture of caring and acceptance is foundational not only to improving employee morale, but also in implementing mental health and suicide prevention activities in the workplace. For example, if a company announces new resources to support employee mental health, but employees fear repercussions for utilizing the resources, it may be counterproductive to your end goals.
Take note of the important role leadership and managers play in creating an inclusive company culture and how creating a culture of caring and acceptance will be foundational to the success of any mental health or suicide prevention policies, programs, or practices introduced into the workplace.
Recommendations
- Assess current company culture. Before implementing a mental health and suicide prevention program in the workplace, assess the cultural readiness of your company. Does your company foster an environment that treats everyone with dignity, respect, and offer equitable opportunity? Examine and evaluate the values of your company and be sure leadership, management, and employees have ample time to learn and get on board with company values.
- Prioritize improving company culture. Creating a company culture that values employees as the most important asset not only sets the stage for successful suicide prevention and mental health programs, practices, and policies, but also, materializes in measurable results like improved employee productivity and retention. Set and communicate what your company values, uphold company values, and evaluate their impact on employee satisfaction and output.