Articles

From the State Director of Missouri SHRM

Last month the Missouri State Council of SHRM hosted a roundtable for HR practitioners across the state, and it was no surprise that one of the topics with the most interest was mental wellbeing. SHRM research has found that 48% of employees report being mentally and physically exhausted by the end of the workday. Research has also found that mental health illnesses could soon be the most common pre-existing condition in the U.S., surpassing obesity¹. While the research did not specifically focus on HR professionals, it is safe to say that the last year has had an impact on our mental wellbeing as we’ve led the way to navigate the many challenges of the past year.

Mental Health Awareness month is the perfect time to reflect, reset, and make our mental wellbeing, and the mental wellbeing of our employees a priority. In 2020 SHRM partnered with PsychHub to launch the Mental Health and Wellness in the Workplace initiative. This free initiative serves to engage HR professionals and provide resources as they lead wellness changes in the workplace to ensure a culture of acceptance.

Additional resources that I am utilizing for my mental wellbeing, and to provide support for employees are:

PsychHub’s list of BIPOC Mental Health Resources
Center for Workplace Mental Health
Mental Health America – Tools to Thrive
SHRM Express Request – Mental Health Month resources
headspace – Take the Pledge Toolkit for employers
calm for HR – 1-year free access for HR professionals, must register by 5/31/2021.

I hope you’ll take advantage of the many resources available to address these workplace crises.

Please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and let me know what resources have been helpful or if you have others I should add to my list. And I hope to “see” you at the Missouri SHRM Virtual Conference August 4th to 6th!

Yours in service,
Angie Schaefer, SHRM-SCP, SPHR
Vice President & CHRO, Safety National
State Director, Missouri State Council of SHRM
Past President, SHRM St. Louis

¹In October 2020, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) reported that mental health illnesses could soon be the most common pre-existing condition in the United States.