Q: I am conscious of ensuring that my staff are happy and healthy at work. With mental health being a big issue in the workplace I want to know how I can monitor my employees’ mental well-being. Please can you advise?
A: Taking the time to ensure that your employees are healthy and happy at work is one of the fundamental criteria in building and maintaining a more engaged workforce. Failing to consider the importance of monitoring mental health in the workplace can be extremely costly, particularly with regards to employees’ levels of productivity, absenteeism and subsequent recruitments costs.
Mental health is not as apparent or easy to detect as physical ailments. What is more, many employers may see the issue at something that is far too deep-rooted or complex for them to handle. Acknowledging the importance of employee mental well-being in the workplace is a great first step to building an open culture with regard to mental health, and ensuring that this is consistently monitored and acted upon is perhaps the most vital component of a healthy workforce.
When it comes to mental health, knowledge is paramount. This applies to management and employees alike. Education is one of the most powerful tools in understanding and combating poor mental health at work. From the commencement of employment, every member of staff should be made aware of the triggers of poor mental health and what procedures the company has in place to support an employee suffering with mental health problems. This should be continuously refreshed in line with any changes within the business or externally.
Staff surveys are another great way to establish the level of mental health among your staff members. Not only do they give employees a platform to anonymously speak up about any problems they are facing in the workplace, but they also enable employers to gain a true sense of how their employees are feeling at work, providing information that can help create a more mindful working environment in terms of mental health.
More often than not the hardest task for an employee who is experiencing poor mental health is talking about his problems. Confiding in their management team may seem daunting to the individual, particularly if he perceives that management will not take the situation seriously. In this instance, it is imperative that management adopts an open door policy, and encourages their employees to feel comfortable talking about any issues, whether work-related or personal.
Similarly, colleagues should be encouraged to interact and engage with each other to facilitate a sense of community, creating an internal family that can act as a supportive network, enhancing camaraderie amongst the workforce. This is such a simple and cost-effective method for building a positive work environment, which will pay dividends to individual and team morale.
David Price is managing director of Health Assured
