When it comes to mental health days, maybe, like Nike, we should all just do it.

Granted, not every business has the luxury of closing for a week at a time to allow their employees to rest and recover, but perhaps it’s appropriate to think about offering a day here and there with that aim in mind.

Let’s be clear: Mental health days – for the purposes of this article – are NOT equivalent to paid vacation or sick time. Rather, they are paid days off designated specifically for self-care and stepping away from the demands of the office. And apparently, now more than ever, employees need these breaks from the workplace.

How work impacts mental health

A new report from Headspace on workplace mental health blames work for the majority or entirety of stress for 47% of employees and 66% of CEOs. Specifically, work-related stress causes:

• negative physical health impacts for 77% of employees;
• weight gain for 75% of employees;
• breakups and divorce for 71% of employees; and
• difficulties caring for family or children’s mental health for 39% of employees; and
• serious mental health challenges (e.g., substance use or suicidal ideation) for 37% of employees.

But can a mental health day – or days – cure these ills?

Mental health days as medicine

Employees and employers alike stand to benefit from mental health days.

Workers can use this time to take a break from the office and focus on their personal needs. Free to spend their day(s) however they choose – taking a nap, getting a massage, hiking or socializing, among many other options – the goal is for them to relax and recharge, then return to work revived, motivated and more productive.

We’ve covered the high cost of worker absenteeism, and mental health days can aid in curbing work-related stress and exhaustion before they lead to total burnout or breakdown.

But perhaps most importantly, an organization that offers employees a mental health day on an annual, quarterly or more frequent basis is communicating its commitment to employee wellness. And employees who find themselves in an environment that prioritizes well-being are more likely to stick around and perform better.

It’s important to note, however, that while mental health days provide much-needed respite from workplace burdens, they are by no means standalone solutions to the stress and anxiety plaguing individuals. Instead, they are just one part of the equation, if offered at all. Think of this benefit as one piece of the holistic wellness pie consisting of various slices that support the physical, mental, spiritual, social, financial and environmental health of your employees.

Tips for achieving maximum impact with mental health days

If you’re inclined to add mental health days to your corporate wellness offerings, keep the following in mind for optimal effectiveness and better employee engagement.

1. Communicate clearly. Whether you announce the advent of mental health days in a meeting, by email or through some other line of inter-office communication, be sure to clarify how they differ from regular paid time off; how many days are available to each employee; and how to go about requesting one. Remind employees of the availability of this benefit from time to time to reinforce your organization’s support for workplace mental health and sincerity in offering this benefit.
2. Establish a no-questions-asked policy. The less an employee must divulge when making a mental health day request, the more inclined they are to take advantage of this benefit.
3. Respect the day. Keep work-related communication off limits during a mental health day. This works both ways; employees do not check emails or call into the office on a mental health day, and employers/coworkers shouldn’t initiate contact either.
4. Encourage leadership to participate. Buy-in on the part of management is crucial to removing the stigma of mental health and communicating company support of employees taking a mental health day without fear of negative impacts on their job or judgement.
5. Be open to improvement. Know that mental health day policy adjustments may be in order as you determine how to best address the needs of your workforce. Solicit anonymous feedback from time and time, and monitor usage of these days to determine if tweaks are in order.

The mental health of a workforce is crucial to an organization’s success, and mental health days are one of many strategies available to employers who seek to improve resiliency and performance among their workers. For further guidance on expanding your corporate wellness programming and offerings, contact Aquila, a health, fitness, wellness and lifestyle management company with nearly three decades of experience in this arena.