The link between stronger workplace mental health and improved performance on critical business metrics like productivity, absenteeism and retention is well established. Yet the benefits of happier, mentally healthy employees extend well beyond the corporate campus to include the families they go home to every night and the communities where they live.

The effects of a poor work-life balance can be detrimental to an employee’s mental health, leading to fatigue, burnout, or worse. According to one recent study, poor mental health among parents and caregivers often translates into poor mental and physical health for children. Children of parents suffering from poor mental health experience higher rates of physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. It is also evident that when family relationships are stable and supportive, a person suffering from mental health issues or disorders may be more responsive to care and treatment.

As the COVID-19 pandemic recedes and more companies begin to welcome their employees back to physical offices, nearly half of workers fear returning to the workplace will have a negative impact on their mental health. So, what steps should employers take in order to limit the stress and anxiety many employees will feel as in-person work returns?

Employers must actively implement solutions to prevent burnout and create a psychologically safe environment to not only support their employees’ mental health but also their families. Recently, Mental Health America published a set of actionable recommendations for employees seeking a better work-life balance. Many can be applied by business leaders to help their employees return to work in a safe, healthy way.

First, provide flexibility. Many employees who have spent the last two years working from home have completely redesigned their lives to balance remote work with family responsibilities. Employers need to communicate clearly evolving workplace rules around flexible working hours, telecommuting and the need to take short breaks when employees are in the office.

Second, identify employees who are having challenges and create support paths. The more control employees have over their work, the less stressed they feel. Leaders can help by empowering workers to set manageable goals and timetables, allowing them to complete tasks and fulfill their responsibilities under less pressure.

Third, be open and transparent about Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and plans the company has to enhance mental health access and support. Business leaders should make sure employees know help is available if and when they need it, and that there are resources specifically for the employee’s family members. Companies can invest in tools that are available to families in order to help create well-rounded mental health support for both parties. Talking about these programs openly with employees can go a long way towards reducing stigma, creating healthy environments — both in and outside of the workplace — and getting employees who are struggling the appropriate care.

Better mental health at work translates into better mental health among families and across communities. As we emerge from our home-based Zoom rooms and begin to return to our offices, different support systems will be needed. Business leaders must recognize the scale of the mental health challenges employees are facing and ensure that workplaces offer the psychological and emotional support workers — and their families — will need.