Focus on mental health and wellbeing
The focus of this article is on an area that touches us all at some point, either directly or through a colleague or friend, and one that has always existed but is today better understood with greater awareness: mental health. While all of us should prioritise our mental health and that of our staff, a certain cohort could benefit from more attention to this topic - frontline workers.
So, who are frontline workers?
Officially, a frontline worker is someone "who must be present in a specific place and at a specific time to perform their jobs." They're your 'on the ground' employees who engage directly with the public or provide services that are essential to an organisation. Globally, there are over 2.7 billion frontline workers covering every industry.
The recent headlines paint a very worrying picture of the decline in mental health and, in particular, among the world's frontline workers. However, this has also spurred many companies into action, looking at ways to combat the decline and put in place initiatives that put frontline workers' mental health needs at the forefront of their people strategy. The companies that are actively investing in this area are not only addressing a pressing issue but also starting to reap numerous benefits around retention, engagement, absence, and productivity, which can inspire other organisations to follow suit.
The consequences of neglecting mental health in your business
Ignoring mental health issues can significantly affect various aspects of your organisation. It’s crucial to identify these challenges early and implement effective solutions to mitigate their impact. Here’s a look at the key areas your business could be affected:
What’s available for your business to address rising mental health challenges in the workplace?
Various tools are now available to support your efforts in prioritising mental health initiatives for your workforce.
Mental and Emotional Wellbeing
Work-Life Balance
Personalised Wellbeing Programs
Ensuring effective use of technology to support mental health
Technology is only ever a part of the solution and a great enabler for companies to firstly understand the need through greater data insights, and then provide tools to help managers and employees.
At BDO, we’ve learned that for technology to be effective and have the greatest impact, organisations should:
Employers can significantly enhance the overall well-being of their workforce by thoughtfully integrating these technologies and maintaining a balanced approach.
Conclusion
Technology plays a crucial role in enhancing the mental health of frontline workers. By thoughtfully integrating HCM tech, employers can significantly improve their teams’ mental well-being.
Here at BDO, we are proud of our record of delivering real transformational change for our clients through our strategy and consulting, as well as HCM platform implementation services. We believe in partnership and collaboration, delivering best practices, and focusing on tangible outcomes for all our clients.