Company ‘Mental Health’ Days Should Be an Organized, Standard Benefit in Startups
I recently heard about a publicly traded technology company that gives all of its employees the same two days off each year as mental health days. That’s in addition to their regular PTO, maternity and paternity leave, national holidays, etc.
As a sled dog who has mushed hard in the tech industry for more than three decades, I’ve also experienced burnout periodically. That’s why I think this idea is brilliant. In fact, I firmly believe that Boards of Directors, CEOs, investors and executives across the technology industry and in related fields – law firms, VC, 409A providers, et al – should insist on it.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the World Health Organization, and other leading health-related organizations, anxiety and depressive disorders cost economies worldwide trillions of dollars each year in lost productivity. Depression, in particular, can cause severe symptoms that affect how people feel, think, and handle their daily activities, including sleeping, eating, and working.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that in the U.S., depression alone is estimated to cause 200 million lost workdays each year — costing employers anywhere from $17 to $44 billion.
An effective mental health day or two affords all startup employees an opportunity to relax, rest, and reset their priorities. They can serve as pressure valves of sorts, enabling people to decompress and get a brief respite from the relentless pressure that goes with the startup territory. These brief but important breaks give staffers a chance to get a handle on their emotions, and enable them to take a step back to re-evaluate and de-stress.
Also, importantly, when they are organized as company-wide days off, and their purpose is explicitly recognized by employers, mental health days can facilitate open conversations about mental health – conversations that are much needed in our society.
Many professional and Olympic athletes have recently shared their mental health experiences and challenges with social media, the press, coaches, competitors and fans. Abby Wambach, Aly Raisman, Andrew Luck, DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Love, Michael Phelps, Ronda Rousey and others have shared their stories about the pressures of the highly competitive sports life, celebrity, physical and emotional trauma, PTSD and the resultant impact on their mental health.
When it comes right down to it, mental health assessments and treatments are, of course, left to trained healthcare professionals. But that doesn’t mean that corporate executives and managers are powerless to help. Quite the contrary in fact. Here are some recommendations that company leaders can embrace, and in doing so, help to make important changes.
Identify the days on which everyone in the company can take the same day off.
Establish the rule: disallow meetings, emails, phone calls, and other communications (especially Slack).
Clearly communicate any updates or changes to your leave policy with employees.
Let your employees know that you support them and their mental health needs.
Provide resources and education about mental health awareness and support programs on your company intranet. This may be available from your payroll provider (e.g., ADP or Paychex) or heath care plan.
Empower your HR department to support these additional services, such as a list of a websites that connect employees to a therapist and your health care plans.
Make a personal commitment to do more.
Alternatively, mental health days can be offered to employees as days they can take voluntarily to provide mental and emotional respites from the stressors of startup work and life.
Together we can ease the impact of this problem in the tech industry and make our workers happier and healthier. Isn’t it time for us to collectively take the mental health bull by the horns?