Why DEI matters for employee mental health and how to do it better

Diversity, equality and inclusion isn’t just about creating a diverse workforce. It’s also about caring for and enhancing the wellbeing of that workforce. 

That’s why management and HR teams need to consider the link between mental health and DEI. With both Black History Month and World Mental Health Day (10th October) falling this month, this conversation is especially timely. There’s an urgent need for intersectional practices that support the mental health of underrepresented employees. 

Here we unpack why that is, as well as spotlighting DEI best practices that positively impact mental health, employee engagement and company culture. 

How does mental health relate to diversity and inclusion?

Inclusive workplaces that value employees from all backgrounds foster a sense of belonging and reduce stress associated with discrimination or exclusion. 

This is especially important when you consider how mental health issues disproportionately affect minorities, as stats from Mind highlight. For example, 22% of Black or Black British people will experience a common mental health problem in any given week, compared to 17% of White British people. 

As Mind stresses, your identity does not give you mental health problems. But experiencing the likes of social inequality, discrimination and exclusion – all of which can happen in the workplace – are risk factors and take a toll on mental health. 

There’s a name for the heightened levels of stress, of being on guard from bias and code-switching people from underrepresented backgrounds deal with at work: emotional tax. Over time, dealing with this chronic stress and working at a place at odds with your values is a recipe for emotional burnout. 

As you can imagine, this emotional tax impacts work performance too. Meanwhile, good employee wellbeing means a more engaged and productive team. 

Good DEI practices for mental health in action

Ongoing diversity, equality and inclusion training

It’s easy to say your company is committed to tackling inequality and being inclusive. But as tech firm Accenture says, words are not enough. It’s why they introduced mandatory training on identifying, speaking up and reporting racism in 2020. 98% of the team across many of the countries they work in have completed the training. 

And they haven’t stopped there. Soon, they plan to deliver updated, interactive training that dives deeper into racism, to help people move to action if they witness racial inequality and injustice on their teams and with their clients. 

This type of ongoing diversity training can help weave a real culture of equality, where minority colleagues feel able to voice concerns close to their hearts. Just as importantly, it ensures managers are properly equipped to respond and support them. 

Feedback channels like this make people feel respected and safe at work – great antidotes for the strain of emotional tax. 

Inclusive leadership development 

Good DEI starts from the top. Senior leadership teams need to have the skills and sensitivity to nurture inclusive workplaces. Plus, they’re role models, setting an example for the rest of the organisation. 

Inclusive leadership can include training, advocating for inclusive policies and measuring progress, in a transparent way. It’s also up to SLTs to create opportunities for colleagues to connect and learn about each other’s experiences. 

Take the Yorkshire Building Society’s Ramadan Celebration. Based in Bradford, where there’s a large Muslim population, they decided to organise a traditional Iftaar meal for all staff. Senior leaders were also paired with Muslim colleagues and joined them in fasting. It was a huge success in terms of sharing culture and bringing colleagues together, led by the SLT. 

Feedback from Yorkshire Building Society employees emphasised “how much it means when businesses are inclusive and allow everyone to bring their whole selves to work.” Creating this feeling again unburdens people of emotional tax, reducing the need for code-switching and worries about discrimination in the office. 

Inclusive hiring processes

Hiring processes can push people to tone down who they are before they’ve even been offered a job. 

Often recruiters are searching for people who are a good “cultural fit”, favouring people who are very similar to people already working at the company. Hence why applicants might avoid showing their full self in the recruitment process.  

Add to this countless other ways the hiring processes can be discriminatory and anxiety-inducing and you have an experience that’s harmful to mental health.  

Enter open hiring, a DEI initiative that brands like The Body Shop are using. It works on a first-come, first-served basis with no CVs or applications. Instead, The Body Shop asks three simple questions: Do you have the right to work in the UK? Can you work for up to eight hours in a shift? Can you carry loads of 11 kilograms? 

The clear lack of bias in this process instantly removes much of the stress and anxiety for applicants. And it’s good for business too. The Body Shop reported a 10% jump in sales in stores with open-hired employees, which the Global Head of Inclusion and Belonging partly puts down to the enthusiasm of those employees. 

Sponsorship programmes

A sponsorship programme is yet another way to make minority colleagues feel supported and to remove barriers for them to thrive. Sponsors use their influence and networks to advocate for their partner’s career growth, make sure their achievements are recognised and offer feedback and advice. 

It’s something Salesforce has launched, connecting women of colour with company leaders. The participants also have the chance to develop and pitch a business case, with their solutions informing key product and business strategies. 

The impact of sponsorship programmes like this are long-lasting: they advance underrepresented talent, increase leadership diversity and show minority colleagues that the company is invested in their success. All of that comes together to build a culture where people feel like they belong, improving self-esteem and motivation. 

Three social enterprises supporting mental health

• Harry Specters: Makers of award-winning chocolates empowering autistic adults through employment. 
• Scintilla: Natural and sustainable skincare raising money for Mind. 
• Seed of Hope: Wildflower seeds funding recovery-based horticultural therapy groups. 

Read next: How not to deal with anxiety in the workplace