Team Bonding – WMA 富道学院

Don’t you feel sometimes all you want to do is just to take some time off and focus on yourself both physically and mentally instead of just work and work and more work?

If you do, it is a sign that you are suffering from mental health depression at work!

Mental health is one of the last remaining taboos in the workplace. Yet according to World Health Organization one in every six workers experience depression, anxiety or stress at workplace and this is a significant portion of the workforce. It also appears as if attitudes towards mental health in the workplace remain in the dark ages where 56% of employers say they wouldn’t hire someone with depression. Globally, more than 300 million people suffer from depression, the leading cause of disability, with many of these people also suffering from symptoms of anxiety. A recent WHO-led study estimates that depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy US$ 1 trillion each year in lost productivity. Unemployment is a well-recognized risk factor for mental health problems, while returning to, or getting work is protective. A negative working environment may lead to physical and mental health problems, harmful use of substances or alcohol, absenteeism and lost productivity. Workplaces that promote mental health and support people with mental disorders are more likely to reduce absenteeism, increase productivity and benefit from associated economic gains.

What are the work related risk factors for health?

There are many risk factors involved for mental health that may be present in your working space that even you may not be aware of. .Most of these risks are interrelated which are mostly interactions between for example type of work, the organizational and managerial environment, the skills and competencies of employees, and the support available for employees to carry out their work.

Risks to mental health include:

inadequate health and safety policies
poor communication and management practices
limited participation in decision-making or low control over one’s area of work
low levels of support for employees;
inflexible working hour
unclear tasks or organizational objectives

Risks may also be related to job content, such as unsuitable tasks for the person’s competencies or a high and unrelenting workload. Some jobs may carry a higher personal risk than others. For example, first responders and humanitarian workers, which can have an impact on mental health and be a cause of symptoms of mental disorders, or lead to harmful use of alcohol or psychoactive drugs. Risk may be increased in situations where there is a lack of team cohesion or social support.

Bullying and psychological harassment at workplace also known as “mobbing” are reported as the most common cause of work-related stress by workers and present risks to the health of workers. They are associated with both psychological and physical problems. These health consequences can cost the employers big time in terms of reducing productivity and increasing staff turnover. They can also have a negative impact on family and social interactions and personally too.

How to overcome Mental Issues at Work?

Work together to overcome mental issue at work

1)Creating a healthy workplace

A healthy workplace can be described as one where workers and managers actively contribute to the working environment by promoting and protecting the health, safety and well-being of all employees. A healthy workplace should firstly, protect mental health by reducing work–related risk factors and also promote mental health by developing the positive aspects of work and the strengths of employees and lastly address mental health problems regardless of cause.

2)Supporting people with mental disorders at work

Organizations have a responsibility to support individuals with mental disorders in either continuing or returning to work. Research shows that unemployment, particularly long-term unemployment, can have a detrimental impact on mental health. Many of the initiatives outlined above may help individuals with mental disorders. In particular, flexible hours, job-redesign, addressing negative workplace dynamics, and supportive and confidential communication with management can help people with mental disorders continue to or return to work. Access to evidence-based treatments has been shown to be beneficial for depression and other mental disorders. Because of the stigma associated with mental disorders, employers need to ensure that individuals feel supported and able to ask for support in continuing with or returning to work and are provided with the necessary resources to do their job.

3)Know Your Rights

The Malaysian Employment Act 1955, states that your employer has to work with you to try to overcome health problems. And don’t forget that it’s in your boss’s own interests to accommodate you. Anxiety and depression, the most common mental health issues, have been estimated to cause a fifth of the days lost to sickness in Britain.

It can be hard talking about such an emotional and personal subject at work, but focusing on practicalities and logistics can take the charge out of it. Try to suggest some concrete things that might help you cope. For example, switching to flexible or part-time hours for a while might give you some much-needed space to breathe. Would the option to work from home some days take the pressure off? Coming into the conversation prepared with potential solutions could make the conversation seem less daunting.If you’re nervous about talking to your manager, or if things don’t go well when you do, it’s worth having a chat to your organisation’s HR or occupational health department – but your line manager should be your first port of call.

Here are some guidelines your company can take to create a healthy workplace:

Creating awareness of the workplace environment and how it can be adapted to promote better mental health for different employees.
Learning from the motivations of organizational leaders and employees who have taken action.  
Not reinventing wheels by being aware of what other companies who have taken action have done. 
Understanding the opportunities and needs of individual employees, in helping to develop better policies for workplace mental health.  
Awareness of sources of support and where people can find help.
Informing staff that support is available
Involving employees in decision-making,
conveying a feeling of control and participation
organizational practices that support a healthy work-life balance
Creating programmes for career development of employees
Recognizing and rewarding the contribution of employees.

In conclusion, mental health matter because it will only make sense as a perfect business sense for organizations to create a work culture that supports employees with good mental health. If your employees aren’t feeling well mentally, then they will not feel engaged or committed at work. The more we talk about mental health, the more stigmas get broken down, so don’t suffer in silence. Work’s important, but it’s not as important as your health and quality of life.

Employee bond is an important element of workplace productivity. Everyone in the office needs to feels like they are part of the team but by simply throwing a group of people together in a large work space does not constitute employee bonding. It is quite difficult to quantify. So how can you get employees to bond as a team? Here are seven inventive suggestions you can implement right away in your organization.

1.Create employee development plans

According to Aberdeen report, the top reason employees stay with a company is they feel challenged by their work. To make a real impact, your employees’ work needs to support the company’s growth goals. You can do this by making an employee development plan for your employees. This will help you create clear direction on how to increase their skills and advance their careers so that your business can forge ahead.

1. Seek Opportunities to Socialize Outside the Workplace

Whether it’s taking everyone out to lunch or a karaoke night, planning a social outing away from the workplace is proven as the best method for helping employees bond. When people talk about their personal lives, they identify things in common and build bonds based on them. These bonds lead to trust and respect, which lead to a willingness to collaborate and perform well together. An informal setting offers people the opportunity to relax and talk to each other about something other than work.

2. Promote Work Life Balance

Work-life balance matters, and it is becoming an increasing concern for many employees and employers. Creating a work environment that promotes work-life balance and gives your employees the flexibility to balance both aspects of their life will improve relations and ultimately create a strong team.

3.Offer Regular Compliment and Encouragement

Take an interest in the career development and job satisfaction of each direct report. When someone is doing a good job, take the time to let them know they are. A little positive reinforcement goes a long way. You can send a quick email of praise when a particular project goes well. Send an annual or monthly or even weekly email or note reminding them of how much you appreciate their work. Make it clear to higher-ups when someone goes above and beyond. When your employees know you notice the little things, they’ll want to be on the ball every day.

4. Seek Opportunities to Socialize Outside the Workplace

4.Establish team rules

Rules are everywhere. From the sports field to in our daily interactions they exist. And they exist to keep everyone safe and on the same page. How can we more forward together if we don’t know where we stand? Rules will safeguard the success and productivity of a team. Establishing rules early is best, For example, like ‘No Cell Phones during meeting’ or ‘Wear Pink on Wednesday’ but be willing to consider changing them if they’re hindering rather than helping the team. You can write them down or just chat about them openly. Either way, you should be clear on why they exist and ask for feedback from everyone.

5.Celebrate Success Together

Celebrating your success as a team will bring people closer together, encourage conversation, and boost happiness. By doing this, you’re weaving them into your team’s culture and the benefits will become lasting and more impactful. You’re also reminding people what your goals are that it is achievable and worth striving for, which will keep motivation high. It could be a big lavish trip to somewhere or simple dinner together but the main goal is to get everyone together and have fun!

6.Foster Empathy and Compassion

Creating a bond of trust starts with empathy and compassion. Empathy is feeling with others. You have to put yourself in another’s shoes emotionally. Compassion has been described as “empathy-in-action.” Feeling with another is helpful, but take the next step and put that empathy into action. If your employee is not in the right term sit down and talk it out. If they are in a of need emergency despite the works are overloaded try to understand their situation and come up with a solution that works best for all. Sometimes that’s a practical action, sometimes it’s emotional comfort, and sometimes it’s both. When you feel empathy and show compassion for others, it builds trust.

Why Mental Health at Workplace Matters?