When you think about worker health and safety, you probably focus on avoiding the pinch points on your canning line or making sure your team follows all the safety procedures when working in confined spaces. And, of course, your workers’ physical safety is very important! But mental health is also important—and a bigger issue than you may realize.

Did you know that up to 25% of the U.S. population experiences mental illness at any given time? Or that nearly two-thirds of people with diagnosable mental disorders do not seek treatment?

The fact is, business owners can make a positive difference in their employees’ mental health. And that could, in turn, positively impact your brewery’s absenteeism, presenteeism, and loss of productivity resulting from untreated mental health conditions.

And there’s no better time than right now to get started.

How to Help Your Workers Improve Their Mental Health

But don’t start brainstorming a mental health program for your brewery just yet! Your first step should be really understanding your organization’s need.

Needs assessments and ongoing evaluations are key to the success of mental health improvement and suicide prevention. Consider taking one or more of these steps:

• Organize a focus group of your workers
• Conduct in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, or offer surveys
• Analyze organizational data to learn more about employee assistance program usage, absenteeism, and other issues that could be impacted (or impact) mental health
• Encourage your team to get screened so they can understand their own needs better. (Here’s a helpful tool.)

Other Ways to Participate in Mental Health Month

• Share information about mental illness and mental health in your employee newsletter. The National Alliance on Mental Illness is a wonderful resource.
• Share tips for improved mental health with your team. Ask for their top tips, too! Encouraging conversation is a big step toward reducing the stigma of mental illness.
• Invite a mental health professional to present during a lunch-and-learn. A great topic to suggest: healthful ways to manage life’s challenges, and steps to take if risky behaviors are becoming a habit.
• If your company offers an EAP, make sure your employees are aware of it!

For more than 30 years, Beall Financial and Insurance Services, Inc., has been helping corporations and individuals protect their most important assets. The agency’s client base covers a spectrum of niche businesses, such as craft breweries, that require specialized insurance packages and knowledge. With offices in California and Indiana, Beall Financial and Insurance Services serves clients nationwide.