Parental Mental Health Challenges : What Workplace Can Offer

Representational image - Sakshi Post

Workplaces with high levels of mental well-being are more productive as excellent management and good mental health at work go hand in hand. Taking care of one's well-being at work might boost output multifold. Issues like postnatal depression and anxiety are among the emotional effects of becoming a new parent that, contrary to popular belief, can affect both moms and dads. 
 
The symptoms are frequently accompanied by other common health issues, such as poor sleep, stress, etc., which can make things worse. The quality of sleep decreases as sleep length increases after becoming a parent. However, employers can support new parents with a combination of workplace benefits. Interventions that allow individuals to practice healthy and productive routines are key – for example, offering flexible shifts and discouraging checking emails outside of work hours.

According to, Aakanksha Bhargava, CEO, PM Relocations Pvt. Ltd ,  "The global ratio of mentally unhealthy people is rising with time, especially after the scenario of Covid 19. Concerns like health, job security, financial crises, worrying about children, their education, etc. have been a hustle for parents everywhere. The stress, anxiety and depression levels are heightening particularly in this group, according to a study conducted by Oxford University."
 
She adds, "The best way to fight this problem is by focusing upon Employee Wellness and creating a Work Environment that ensures maximum Happiness Index at the workplace. There must be a planner that’s dedicated to this purpose and consists of various activities that focus on team building, liberation, talent showcasing, addressing mental health, etc."
 
Akanksha says, "As a part of employee engagement, companies can provide recognition, appraisals and incentives to their people while also ensuring job security. There is a need for the company’s management to have an open dialogue with their employees to cater to their work needs and understand the stress points to ensure smooth functioning and mental wellness of people. A feeling of “US” must exist in the organisation encouraging people to take ownership ultimately yielding betterment for the company."
 
Being a working Parent is like having 2 full-time jobs especially when it comes to working mothers who not only take care of their work responsibilities but also kids, family, and the home. It is disproportionately harder on most working mothers, yet organisations need to encourage their hiring because of their unique ability to multi-task, prioritise, and organise in an incredibly adaptive and resilient manner while having plenty of distractions.
  
“We recognize the toll such a strenuous lifestyle puts on working parents and hence at SAVE we have designed our work culture to support their needs by offering flexible working hours along with work-from-home for working parents. We help prioritise mental well-being for our employees and educate all employees about the challenges faced to create an inclusive and understanding workforce,” says Aditi Mittal, Group Head HR, SAVE Solutions.
 
Such regular Webinars help open dialogue about mental health awareness and help achieve work life balance. We have many more programs under review to help working parents, such as subsidised daycares to set up mentorship programs for new parents with the leadership to build confidence in their new dual role responsibilities, she added. 

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