At its’ core, absenteeism disrupts the workplace in fundamental ways. Unplanned absences can lead to workflow disruption and delays, as well as place additional burdens/extra work on other employees. These consequences ripple through an organization impacting the morale and engagement of other employees and ultimately the bottom line of business. A clear link has been established between psychological well-being and attendance at work. The stressors of the modern work environment and personal life challenges have led to an uptick in anxiety, depression, and burnout among employees. The pandemic really brought many issues in the workplace to the forefront in a way people could think about them differently. As a result, not only the younger generations but many seasoned workers are now able to verbalize their needs for support. The workplaces of tomorrow will champion the concept of work-life integration promoting a balance of professional ambitions and personal commitments.
According to Mental Health America, employees with depression are more likely to take sick days than those without depression, with individuals with untreated depression taking an average of 4.8 sick days per month. Data from the Sainsbury Center for Mental Health reveals employees with untreated mental health conditions are twice as likely to miss work as those receiving treatment. In addition, mental health related absenteeism can frequently extend into longer absences.
High levels of stress that continue over time becoming chronic and unmanaged leads to burnout. Employees faced with this challenge may develop anxiety and/or depression. However, with intervention, the employee can learn how to manage their stress, establish and keep boundaries in place and generally prevent long term problems from setting in.
Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, feelings of detachment, and reduced feelings of accomplishment. Employees that are burnt out are disengaged and struggle to find their purpose in their work. People seek to recover and do this frequently taking off work to regain their sense of well-being. Mental health support can help them identify how to get their balance back without taking absences, although sometimes some time off is warranted. Early intervention can help to avoid this issue but mental health intervention can also just give a person ideas, resources, and skills to reconfigure their work life balance at any time in the process.
Mental health challenges can also impair cognitive functioning making it difficult to concentrate, problem solve, or make decisions. Follow through, task completion, and even following instructions can be impacted when struggling with anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout. This all leads to a decrease in productivity and sometimes even safety concerns. In the case of impaired cognitive functioning, a mental health professional is required to help with identifying and treating the source of the mental health challenge.
Individuals grappling with mental health challenges also may resort to avoidance behaviors attempting to escape stressful situations or interactions that trigger distress. This avoidance can extend to the workplace where they avoid challenging tasks or social interactions that exacerbate their mental health struggles. Ultimately, the avoidance can then begin to evolve into absenteeism as the individual seeks relief.
The above listed examples are just a basic list of the connection between mental health support and reduced absenteeism. Having timely mental health support is invaluable for proactively addressing current issues and preventing future issues.
Prioritizing mental health initiatives in the workplace profoundly impacts employee engagement creating a ripple effect that directly addresses absenteeism rates. When you prioritize mental health you send a powerful message to your employees their well-being is valued. This gesture fosters a sense of connection, trust and commitment amongst people, which heightens engagement levels. When people are committed you retain your employees and raise job satisfaction.
Mental health support can equip employees with tools to reduce stress, manage time, improve concentration and focus. Skills for managing emotions, listening, and building emotional resilience can also be learned by employees who then can navigate their work responsibilities more efficiently. People being supported in this way are more likely to contribute proactively and to feel the freedom to be creative.
When individual productivity is boosted, the organizations’ productivity naturally increases. Absenteeism decreases when employees are equipped to handle challenges, find purpose in their roles, and actively participate in the organizational goals. The interconnected cycle of well-being, productivity, and organizational success is a testament to the transformative impact of mental health.
Absenteeism and mental health issues are directly linked. Communication, resource provision, and access to mental health services is the critical triad for addressing employee mental health needs. Prioritizing these factors creates the proactive supportive work environment people want to be a part of. When the dialogue is about being valued and resources, employee engagement goes up, absences go down, and loyalty is enhanced. In the business world, I think they call this a win-win!