When you’re a business owner or a manager at an office, you might be asking your employees to come back to work. Every company has their own stipulations, and many employees are more productive working remotely than they are at the office, but there is an inevitable feeling that we will have to reintegrate to our jobs and society at large.

This comes with a lot of anxiety, stress, and uncertainty, but it doesn’t have to be a drag. Not only is it the job of business owners and managers to provide a positive environment, considering the mental health and atmosphere of the office will greatly increase productivity. The transition can be facilitated by these five tips to cultivate a welcoming workplace of mentally healthy colleagues.

Provide mental health reports

Luckily, there are plenty of behavioural health services for companies and human resource departments. One great way to encourage people to be happier and healthier is to provide a report on employee mental health. If your workers agree, you can gain insight into how they struggle, which provides understanding, and learn how to foster comfortable and content employees. Understanding is the key to progress when it comes to mental health.

Offer acceptance in HR and beyond

As people go back to work, they will all adjust differently to the transition. It’s vital to have an active human resources plan to combat these obstacles. A lot of companies are starting out in the office only a few days a week while others are practising team-building exercises. So many people have been home and unable to see their colleagues, communication is key. Business owners and managers should come up with a concerted HR effort to listen to employees and to offer acceptance during this transition. Everyone will adapt differently.

Create a productive and comfortable

One thing that remote work has taught the world of business is that employees get more done when they are comfortable. If you have what you need, you will be less likely to get up and disrupt your focus. The ability to take short, but necessary breaks allows workers to get more done and be more productive. No longer is it tenable to be the enemy of pleasantries and amenities. The more conducive the work environment is to creativity and productivity, the happier and more efficient the office will be.

Invest in behavioural health resources

There is a lot of literature about the psychology, mental, and behavioural health of employees, management, and more. You should invest in behavioral health resources when you can. Not only will these services provide training and education to combat stress, manage anxiety, and individualised pacing, there are plenty of tools to implement what you and your employees learn. With coaches on behavioural health and plenty of open forum seminars, there is no reason you shouldn’t put a little money into these kinds of health services. It will make your whole operation more productive in the end.

Encourage communication

Communication is always important, but it has never been more instrumental in the return to office life. The pace has been slower and people have gone through a range of emotions. To better accommodate your employees and understand what they need to do to get a better job at work, you should encourage healthy communication about mental health and the adjustment that is taking place. When you find someone is not doing well, if they are dealing with depression for example, there are mental health services provided by the local government. Of course the conversations between management and employees should remain confidential, healthy conversation about mental health will help everyone involved at the business.

Mental health isn’t easy to talk about. There is still so much stigma surrounding basic mental health issues that all people struggle with. Still, awareness, communication, and resources will improve the overall vibe at the office while making the environment happier and increasingly productive. Investing in your team is investing in your business. There are a variety of employee wellness platforms for employers to choose from.

If you put in extra money and effort to make your company a mentally healthy operation, everyone from the owners to low-level workers will benefit. As we return from a collectively traumatic experience, mental health is a priority in the workplace.

Ryan Beitler is a journalist, writer, and blogger who has covered mental health and business for a variety of publications.