Cultivating compassion: Strategies to create a caring company culture

To mark this year’s World Mental Health Day, it’s the perfect time to reflect on simple gestures that show you care and support your employees’ mental health and wellbeing throughout the year. 

Building a compassionate workplace where your colleagues can talk openly, share problems, that are not only work related, can be healthy for your employees and your business in the longer-term. This article explores some key strategies to cultivate a compassionate workplace.

Take time to listen 

Protecting people’s mental health is a topical area of concern throughout the US so while awareness campaigns are amazing, it’s important employees feel ok to discuss health concerns at any point in the year. While staying productive is key, you need to make time to listen and be open to employees who are keen to share any personal or work-related problems. With a reported 1 in 4 employees feeling ignored at work, as a business leader, doing so will be at your peril and detrimental, leading to employees feeling:

• less engaged at work
• unlikely to report burnout
• less inclined to advocate for their company as a place to work
• mistrust leadership of their organization.

Whether you manage a team or have started a business independently, you want to create a safe, caring environment where every member of staff feels comfortable discussing their issues and anxieties. This year’s theme for World Mental Health Day is a reminder to raise awareness of people’s wellbeing and make greater efforts to safeguard yourself and your colleagues.

It’s therefore important to listen to all your employees, the ones in the office, those working in a hybrid fashion and IT staff you might never see who are pen testing your company’s cyber health remotely. With stress, anxiety and depression on the rise among UK workers, focusing on empathy and emotional support makes sound business sense – and meets our basic human need to be treated with kindness.

Lead with compassion

As a manager or if you’re responsible for a team, you do set the tone for implementing a healthy workplace culture, so your behavior matters. Initially review how compassionate your company is, and for small businesses, start-ups or new managers, this is something to do early on. Start with simple gestures and daily interactions by checking in on staff and demonstrating genuine care for their overall wellbeing is key. With a few small acts of kindness like asking about someone’s weekend, praising those who are struggling, or sending a reassuring note when things are tough can go a long way. Leading by empathetic example gives employees permission to bring their whole selves to work, struggles and all.

Consider organizing a monthly lunch or fun activity. Celebrating staff birthdays and work anniversaries shows you care about their lives outside the office. Other caring ways to lead include beginning daily meetings by allowing staff to share personal issues, or offering random time off to employees going through challenges. Small personal gestures demonstrate to employees that you care and do wonders to boost morale as well as reinforce the positive compassionate culture you’re aiming to develop.

Check in on employees regularly 

Burnout is now recognized as an occupational phenomenon by the World Health Organization and compassion at work is vital for wellness and preventing burnout. No matter your employees’ roles, remember that there will always be days when personal issues take priority.

Since most Americans work more than 40 hours per week, you are more than likely interacting closely with staff on a daily basis. If you check in regularly with your colleagues, you can watch for signs of stress, and then make time to support them. Although you want to do your job well, it’s essential to be alert to colleagues who appear worried, anxious, or burned out. 

Promote an open-door policy 

Silence and stigma surrounding mental health issues can be suffocating and unhealthy. As a business owner, ensure that you are planning regular open conversations that normalize open discussions about wellbeing at work. Maintaining an open door policy benefits employees and businesses in many ways as it encourages staff to approach and alleviates any problems before they become a more major and disruptive issue. If sensitive matters are discussed, offer to talk in private. 

Your aim is to create a safe zone where employees feel safe to share if and when they are struggling, and build in ways for staff to access resources, counseling services and any other tools (inside and outside of work) that can support them. It may be that staff and managers need training in how to be a more compassionate listener so they are able to handle sensitive conversations in a professional, caring and supportive manner. 

In addition, being an active listener is key to supporting employees. You arrange more one-on-ones, you’re able to give your full attention to employees and follow up on any concerns raised. Watch for signs of poor mental health and intervene early by suggesting practical tools and guided training that can help to develop resilience against pressure and anxiety. Begin with assessing workloads and redistribute if any team seems overloaded. If you have the budget and time, you might consider offering tailored workshops in techniques like mindfulness that can help whatever industry you are in. 

Praise internal and remote workers

In our increasingly digital work world, look out for your remote workforce because it can be easy to lose the closeness that comes from working side-by-side in an office. With one in six workers in the US affected by mental health issues annually, nurturing a caring work environment is key. Studies show that consistent praise and recognition can greatly improve workplace culture and wellness. 

When employees work from home, managers have fewer opportunities for casual check-ins and noticing warning signs of burnout. Remote workers can also feel isolated without the social connections of an office. With fewer in-person interactions, make an extra effort to have regular video calls with remote staff. 

Encourage remote workers to take breaks throughout the day. Having no commute can lead to longer working hours and increased fatigue. Use collaborative digital tools like shared documents and team chats to foster social connections between remote staff.

Promote a positive work-life balance

All work and no play damages mental health. Encourage employees to set boundaries and not overwork themselves. Lead by example by leaving on time, avoiding out of hours emails and taking regular breaks. Have a strict “no contact” evening and weekend policy to allow people time to properly recharge. With reports stating that 71% of workers want more flexibility in their jobs and careers, offering employees flexible working options to help staff manage commitments outside the office is a winning strategy. Trust people to get the job done in a way that protects their wellbeing.

Related: How investing in a health and wellness program benefits your employees and your business

Establishing work-life balance demonstrates compassion and respects personal time. Implement a “no contact after hours” policy so staff can unplug. Remind employees to use their full vacation time to prevent symptoms of burnout and fatigue.

If managing a team, review workloads often. Personally, learn to say no if you’ve taken on too much. Watch for overworked staff and have candid conversations to alleviate excessive stress. Offer to signpost people to counseling services or support groups. Openly discussing mental health normalizes getting help when needed. A healthy work-life balance supported by management improves retention, productivity, and wellness.

Making compassion part of your workplace culture boosts morale, retention, and productivity. But most importantly, it sustains your team’s mental health by providing a safe space to share problems and reduce everyday work stress. Showing you care and value employees makes a big difference but takes a few small steps to listen and support one another to reinforce a compassionate workplace all year long.