WORKPLACE

 Coworkers can have a big impact on the day-to-day lives of their fellow employees. According to Mental Health America (MHA), employees interact with their coworkers more than their own loved ones.  Both stress and isolation negatively impact employees’ mental and physical health, lowering employee morale and motivation.

In a survey conducted by MHA, 63% of a group of 17,000 employees experienced isolation on the job because of a hostile work environment - over 10,000 people in the survey. Employees should feel open to talk to their managers and coworkers. People who have strong connections with their coworkers have a more noteworthy mental and physical wellbeing.

The American Psychological Association (APA) reports that having positive relationships with co-workers increases job satisfaction. While managing mental health conditions in the workplace may be a challenge, they are not a weakness.  Change starts with motivating managers and human resource professionals to recognize the mental health conflicts that many talented employees feel and doing something about it.

Written by: Kelly Bush