Checklist: Build and Maintain a Mental Health-Friendly Workplace

A mental-health-friendly workplace fosters employee well-being, reduces absenteeism, and improves overall engagement. The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability uses “the four A’s” (awareness, accommodations, assistance, and access) to shorthand ways that employers can foster their employees’ mental well-being. Use this checklist to assess and enhance your organization in the following key areas:

1. Awareness 

Promote understanding and reduce stigma around mental health in the workplace. 

Leadership Training 

• Train leaders and managers to recognize signs of mental health issues and respond effectively, including in mental health crises. 
• Incorporate mental health topics into leadership development programs.
• Ensure top-level executives advocate for mental health awareness. 

Active Communication 

• Regularly share information about the importance of mental health via company emails, newsletters, or meetings. 
• Openly discuss mental health in meetings to normalize the topic and encourage cultural change
• Highlight your organization’s commitment to well-being policies and their availability to employees. 

Workplace Campaigns 

• Host periodic awareness events such as mental health days or wellness weeks. 
• Encourage participation in external initiatives, such as Mental Health Awareness Month. 

2. Accommodations 

Adapt work environments and processes to support employees’ mental health needs. 

Flexible Work Arrangements 

• Offer flexible working hours, remote work options, or hybrid models to help employees balance personal and professional demands. 
• Encourage employees to define clear boundaries between work and personal time. 

Workspace Design 

• Create access to quiet rooms, meditation spaces, or relaxation areas. 
• Foster natural light and clean, comfortable environments. 
• Provide tools such as noise-canceling headphones for busy or high-stress workplaces. 

Reasonable Adjustments 

• Develop policies for making individualized accommodations, such as schedule modifications, task redistribution, or ergonomic support. 
• Ensure ease of access to request accommodations without stigmatization. 

Member Resource: How to Handle ADA Accommodation Requests

3. Assistance 

Provide resources and support systems for employees managing mental health concerns. 

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) 

• Offer confidential and readily accessible counseling, crisis intervention, and referral services. 
• Actively promote EAPs so employees understand their benefits and availability. 

Mental Health Coverage 

• Ensure group health plans provide parity between mental and physical health services. 
• Educate employees about accessing mental health benefits through company policies and insurance plans. 

Supportive Supervisory Practices

• Encourage managers to hold regular check-ins with employees to assess workload, well-being, and challenges. 
• Train supervisors on conducting empathetic and supportive conversations. 

Member Resource: Managing Employee Assistance Programs Toolkit

4. Access 

Facilitate the availability of resources and tools for employees across all levels of the organization. 

Educational Opportunities 

• Provide regular training on stress management, resilience, and mental health literacy. 
• Offer workshops or digital resources on self-care, mindfulness, and burnout prevention. 

Anonymous Support 

• Develop systems where employees can access support, such as mental health apps and hotlines, without disclosing personal information or mental health status. 
• Use tools such as anonymous surveys to understand employee needs and measure the workplace’s mental health climate. 

Inclusive Culture 

• Establish policies against mental-health-based stigma, discrimination, or harassment. 
• Encourage leaders to share personal stories of mental health challenges to inspire openness. 

Community and Belonging 

• Encourage the formation of peer support networks or groups for employees to share experiences and provide mutual support. 
• Make mentorship opportunities available to connect employees who want to discuss mental health openly. 

Continuously Calibrate

It’s important to check in on whether your employees are actually using your mental health programs and support. Steps to do so include: 

• Regularly measure and refine workplace mental health strategies using anonymous feedback channels or workplace health assessments. 
• Share results and demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement. 
• Communicate your organization’s vision of a mentally healthy workplace as part of its core values.