Best Practice: Mental Wellness Policy
“Mental health is the workplace crisis of our time,” said Lynee Luque, NerdWallet’s Chief People Officer, in the April 19 Wall Street Journal article, “Companies Focus on Mental Health.” “We don’t feel that taking care of mental health is something that should just be lumped in with PTO or sick days.” These statements are underscored by the 2022 NAA Mental and Emotional Health Survey, which reflects responses from 3,600 rental-housing professionals:
- 40% of respondents said they had to take time off because of not feeling emotionally well enough to do their jobs; 15% took one week or longer.
- 20% of respondents are unsure if employee wellbeing is a priority at their employer, even though this topic has the highest correlation with their likelihood to remain with the employer for the next 12 months.
- 25% of respondents are unsure if their employer offers resources to help support employee mental and emotional health.
Such cautionary findings are why it is so important for National Apartment Association (NAA) member organizations to develop and promote mental health policies for their employees. These policies should declare mental health to be a priority for the organization, while providing guidance for affected employees to take full advantage of available resources.
NAA partner organization Grace Hill has made available to NAA members a sample mental health policy that it provides for its employees and clients. This policy contains a purpose, scope, definitions and causes, applicable laws, organizational culture, communications and programs, and available resources – both internal and external to the organization. It also offers how employees can identify signs of stress and take steps to manage the symptoms and long-term effects associated with stress.
NAA members can customize this policy to align with their organization’s policies and procedures. Green-highlighted wording indicates places where each organization can add their organization-specific resources, legal considerations, and related policies. NAA members are advised to consult their own counsel, employee benefits providers, and mental health advocates for further assistance. They should also undertake an active program for communicating their policy to all employees, while providing mental health first aid training.