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Since the global pandemic, mental health has become a central concern in HR strategies. But why should employers truly embrace the topic — and how can they take meaningful action?
This article breaks it down. You’ll find clear definitions, actionable steps, and good practices to protect and promote mental wellbeing at work.
Often reduced to illness or psychological disorders, mental health is actually much broader.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines it as:
“a state of well-being in which every individual realizes their own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to contribute to their community.”There is no health without mental health.
This definition clearly shows that mental and physical health are inseparable — and both are essential not only to personal wellbeing, but to professional success as well.
Mental health includes multiple dimensions — and many of them are directly shaped by the workplace. Here are five key pillars:
These are human needs — not just personal ones. They’re essential to thriving at work, too
As the saying goes: prevention is better than cure — and that applies just as much to mental health.
Meeting employee expectations, building a healthier workplace, complying with legal obligations, improving performance — there are many reasons for employers to care.
Today’s reality is clear: stress, anxiety, and psychological distress are rising. The pandemic and ongoing job market disruptions have only amplified the trend.
According to teale’s Mental Health Barometer:
Without decisive action, this will only get worse — especially if working conditions continue to cause psychosocial risks and employers fail to prioritize quality of work life.
And let’s be clear: employers are legally responsible for protecting employee health.
But beyond compliance, investing in mental health has a strategic return. It improves:
According to Deloitte, mental health–related issues — including absenteeism, presenteeism, and turnover — can cost up to €3,000 per employee per year.
Mental wellbeing is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s a business imperative.
Ready to take action? Here’s how to get started — step by step.
Begin with a clear audit of your company’s strengths and weaknesses.
Use available data:
These indicators give you a first snapshot of wellbeing at work.
Also include employee feedback, via surveys or interviews. A Wellbeing barometer, run once or twice a year, can help track progress and guide future decisions.
💡 Tip: Bringing in an external expert can speed up this process, provide useful tools, and reveal blind spots you may not have considered.
A detailed diagnosis is a great first step — but without C-level buy-in, your mental health strategy won’t go far.
Here are three arguments to help you build the case:
Come prepared: bring data, a budget estimate, an implementation roadmap, and examples of external partners. This demonstrates ownership and credibility.
Raising awareness is essential to break the taboo around mental health.
Use internal events to spark conversation:
Managers play a key role. Train them to become ambassadors of your mental health policy — and involve them in promoting available resources.
🤝 Best practice: Take inspiration from Rtone, a product development studio that created an internal mental health squad — a cross-functional group including HR and employees passionate about wellbeing. This team helped promote resources, propose workshops, and keep the topic alive internally.
Reacting to crises is necessary — but preventing them is better.
To do that, equip employees with practical tools for daily self-care and mental resilience.
Move beyond classic Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), which often go underused due to lack of personalization.
Instead, look for solutions that offer:
In short: make technology your ally in driving engagement and adoption.
Raising awareness is a first step. Prevention programs are the second. But lasting change requires structural support.
Here are a few levers:
These examples are not exhaustive. Each company should tailor its actions to its industry, size, and employees’ needs.
To track progress, you need data. Define a set of monthly indicators, by team if possible, and build a dashboard.
The goal:
Over time, this can help transform your company culture and embed wellbeing into your DNA.
As an HR leader, you play a key role in shaping your company's approach to mental health.
Our solution at teale offers a holistic program based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — combining:
From needs analysis to internal communication and impact tracking, teale helps you make your mental health strategy a success.
And thanks to a custom dashboard, you can define measurable objectives and monitor their evolution over time.
🎯 Want to know more? Book a meeting with us to discuss your needs.
Work-related stress is a temporary reaction to pressure or an excessive workload. It becomes problematic when it persists over time. Mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, or burnout, go beyond fleeting stress: they have a lasting impact on well-being, motivation, and the ability to function in daily life. It is important not to downplay the warning signs and to seek support at the first indication of a problem.
No, mental health at work concerns everyone: employees, managers, executives, and HR teams. Anyone can be affected at some point in their career. Furthermore, the work environment plays a major role in either preventing or exacerbating these issues. Taking collective action at every level of the organization is essential to building a sustainable culture of well-being.
Talking to your manager can help you adjust your workload, find practical solutions, and feel supported. If you have a trusting relationship, don't hesitate to open up. In any case, you can also reach out to internal resources (HR, support hotlines, occupational psychologists) or external ones (like teale) for confidential guidance.
No, the law protects employees against any form of discrimination related to their health status, including mental health. Discussing your struggles cannot justify disciplinary action or dismissal. On the contrary, companies have a legal obligation to ensure the physical and mental well-being of their staff. Establishing a climate of trust is essential to allow everyone to speak openly without fear.
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