Three key ways to support your employees' mental fitness: Business leaders can save countless lives and ensure Utah's workforce is resilient, mentally fit, and ready for the challenges and opportunities of the future.

• Author: Miller, Derek

IF THERE IS ONE POSITIVE THING to come out of the pandemic, it is the collective effort to end the stigma surrounding mental illness. Twenty years ago, the conversation on mental and emotional health was very different--mainly because there wasn't one, at least not in the way there is today.

The events of the past few years have highlighted how no one is immune from a blow to mental and emotional health, particularly when large-scale traumatic events impact all of us. This makes mental health a priority for everyone.

Consider that nearly two-thirds of Americans spend most of their day and the majority of their waking hours at work. The workplace can significantly impact employee well-being positively or negatively. This creates a unique opportunity and responsibility for business leaders.

According to the World Health Organization, for every $1 put into employee mental health, there is a return of $4 in improved health and productivity. Recognizing this, many employers who care deeply about the well-being and success of their employees want to understand what they can do to make a difference.

Utah Community Builders, the Salt Lake Chamber's social impact foundation, partnered with mental health experts to create the Suicide Prevention in the Workforce Employer Toolkit, which provides businesses a guide for sustaining, promoting, and improving the mental health of our workforce. The foundation then identified industries with unique challenges to workforce resilience: construction, hospitality, and the legal profession.

This led to the creation of three new guides tailored to these industries. "Living Well in Law" addresses burnout, engagement, and well-being in the legal profession. "Resilience in Hospitality" provides best practices for mental health in Utah's world-class hospitality sector. "Total Safety" builds upon the construction industry's progress in improving physical safety at the job site by incorporating mental and emotional safety off the job.

A common theme in each of the guides is...