Everyone has the right to work and all workers have the right to a safe and healthy working environment. Work can be a protective factor for mental health, but it can also contribute to worsening mental health. Work-related mental health conditions are preventable.

Companies have made major investments in supporting employee mental health during the pandemic, but stress and anxiety remain high. One key to addressing work burnout could be teaching managers how to talk to their employees about mental health, but managers often worry that bringing up mental health at work could cross personal boundaries.

If organisations really want to move the needle in improving employee well-being, the systems and policies of work itself will have to change. First, companies must measure the mental state of their workforce and understand what’s driving stress. Then, leaders must make structural changes to policies in the way people work.

If someone’s main stressor is an overly packed schedule, managers can find ways to reduce meetings, reprioritize important tasks and set more realistic deadlines. More broadly, organisations can assess the need to hire more employees to better balance the workload.

Employers should also measure what personal challenges impact well-being in the workplace. People who experience stress due to systemic socio-economic barriers, such as lack of affordable child care or a long and time-consuming commute, will not benefit from speaking with a therapist or meditating for a few minutes. Instead, employers could provide more support, decrease stress and improve worker well-being by offering creative strategies that get at the root of the problem.

To address child-care stress, for example, employers can offer discounts to a partner child-care facility, a monthly care stipend, more flexible hours or the option to telework. To decrease the stress of someone’s burdensome commute, they could offer a transit stipend, a company shuttle service or the option to telecommute.

Experts agree employers carry a responsibility to invest in their employees mental well-being. It’s also an imperative “from a less altruistic point of view”: Healthier and happier workers are more productive. Employers must also recognize the ways they could be causing mental health challenges and understand the role they play in reversing some of them.

Bringing pets to work is becoming an integral part of the corporate culture.

Pets can improve communication since they often ignite discussions between colleagues. On the other hand, they can also cause distraction and affect productivity. Yes, it’s understandable to expect a friendly pet to prevent productivity. But, the animals tend to distract employees from what matters most – not their work, but the stress that comes with a job.

Pets can distract workers from issues that are disturbing them, which will decrease stress levels. This improves mental health, because it minimizes worry and work pressure. Work productivity can depend on a pet’s personality. Calm and relaxed pets are great to take into the office, because they won’t be active. Hyper pets create a huge distraction. It’s important to know whether the pet has a personality suitable for the workplace. When considering taking the animal to work, this should be an important factor.

Pet-friendly workplaces are becoming more and more common in recent years. Many large companies, actually have a pet policy now where employees can bring their furry friend to work.

Side Effects.

On average, companies who allow pets create pet-related expenses for having one animal in the office. Some things that the office will need to have for the pets are food, treats, toys and maybe even a pet bed. Most of these costs would go to the owner of the pet, which means the business won’t actually be spending much more to allow them.

The company though, would have to pay to pet-proof the office and plan for any accidental damage caused by the pets. All animals can damage items and furniture in a house and an office and shouldn’t be held accountable for doing so. This is something that should be taken into consideration when making a business pet-friendly.

Before implementing a pet-friendly policy, it’s important for employers to ensure no workers are allergic to pets. If a worker is allergic to pets, the pet policy can be adjusted accordingly. Maybe an employee is allergic to cats but not dogs. If this is the case, there could still be a dog-friendly pet policy.

A recent study reveals that many employees at pet-friendly workplaces, report a 3 times more positive working relationship with their employer and coworkers than those in non-pet-friendly environments. The study also shows that pet-friendly companies are more successful at attracting and retaining employees. In fact, the study found that 90% of employees in pet-friendly workplaces feel highly connected to their company’s mission, and they are fully engaged with their work, and are willing to recommend their employer to others.