As HR professionals and team leaders, we’re used to responding to the needs of our people. We’ve built systems around onboarding, performance, development, and safety. But there’s one area where traditional frameworks are still catching up to the modern workplace: mental health. More specifically, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
It’s easy to picture it in a physical setting — a moment in the hallway, a quiet conversation after a meeting, a supportive nudge at someone’s desk. We instinctively associate Mental Health First Aid with in-person interactions. But that’s a limiting mindset. In today’s hybrid and virtual environments, the need for Mental Health First Aid hasn’t gone away. If anything, it’s become more critical — and more complex.
Why? Because virtual work can make distress easier to hide.
In a remote setting, we lose many of the small signals that tell us when someone’s not okay. Tone of voice, body language, energy levels — they’re harder to read over video or chat. And without informal check-ins or hallway conversations, there are fewer opportunities to catch subtle changes in behaviour.
On top of that, many employees are masking — a term that refers to hiding emotional distress behind a façade of being fine. Masking isn’t new, but remote work gives people more tools to do it. They can turn off their camera, blur their background, type “I’m good” in the chat, and then log off to deal with whatever they’re carrying — alone.
This is where Mental Health First Aid makes a difference.
MHFA teaches practical, evidence-based strategies to recognize when someone may be struggling and how to safely offer support. It’s not about becoming a therapist. It’s about building the confidence to reach out, the awareness to notice subtle shifts, and the skills to create safe, supportive spaces — whether that’s in a breakout room, a one-on-one call, or even a message thread.
And importantly, Mental Health First Aid is effective in virtual and hybrid environments. The tools may change, but the core purpose — human connection — does not.
As one line sums it up: “In virtual teams, people don’t struggle less — they’re just easier to miss. Mental Health First Aid helps us see what’s not being said and support what’s being hidden.”
It’s also time to revisit the sense of responsibility we hold as leaders. When we’re in the same building, our sense of accountability to one another often feels stronger. We share the same space, after all — the same elevators, meetings, kitchens. There’s a natural sense of “I’m here, I see you.”
But distance shouldn’t dilute our duty of care.
Proximity doesn’t determine responsibility. Values do.
We have an obligation — not just as leaders, but as colleagues and human beings — to show up for one another, regardless of where or how we work. That responsibility is part of the social contract we hold within our teams and cultures. It doesn’t turn off when the webcam does.
As our workforces continue to evolve, we must evolve with them. That means learning to see and respond differently. It means equipping leaders and teams with the tools to be proactive about mental health, especially when the old cues are no longer visible.
Virtual environments create more places for stigma to hide. More corners. More filters. More ways for people to quietly say “I’m fine” when they’re not. Mental Health First Aid helps us challenge that — with intention, with compassion, and with real action.
This is our opportunity to lead differently.
To create teams that are not only productive, but psychologically safe. To ensure our virtual culture doesn’t leave people feeling invisible. To build a workplace where care is expected, not exceptional.
Mental Health First Aid is part of that future. Let’s not wait for someone to ask for help. Let’s make sure we’re ready when they need it.