World Mental Health Day took place earlier this month and, for the first time, the focus was on the workplace.
This is a progressive step forwards, shining a light on the link between our working environment and mental wellbeing.
Protecting employees from physical harm is a given, with most companies providing compulsory training on health and safety. However, businesses have a duty to protect their employees’ mental health too.
As well as emotionally and physically impacting employees, poor mental health can have serious implications for employers. In fact, 2016 official government statistics state 15.8m days were lost in sickness absences due to mental health issues.
Having a holistic mental health strategy covering prevention, intervention and protection is essential for unlocking a workforce’s true potential. Business leaders need to be able to spot ‘triggers’ or signs something might be wrong and be informed enough to confidently prevent any problems from escalating.
Offering Mental Health First Aid training can give employees the tools to keep themselves and their colleagues healthy from the start. There are many different sessions available and some third-party providers offer in-house training too.
Thames Water is one company leading the way in training managers to spot the signs of mental health problems (MHPs), by its introduction of innovative virtual reality technology to put employees in the shoes of an individual suffering from an MHP.
Creating a mental health champions network can help combat negative attitudes and encourage open workplace dialogue.Establishing employee assistance programmes (EAPs) can be an extremely useful addition to your company’s benefits packages. EAPS offer direct, confidential contact with experts who can support individuals with areas causing emotional distress, from family issues to work-related problems, addiction and mental illness. While often seen as a reactive offering, if promoted widely as a form of primary assistance to support early stages of mental health issues, EAPS can be a great way to combat problems from the very start.
Another way to get ahead of the curve is to keep up to date with and respond to changes to government policy. For example, Linklaters recently held a seminar on Brexit and how HR leaders should respond in light of growing public uncertainty.
Topics could include tax, interest rates or income support, which may leave your employees feeling worried about their future or financial security.
Our recent report, in partnership with The Mental Health Foundation and Oxford Economics - “Added value: mental health as a workplace asset” – found working adults with MHPs contributed an estimated £226 billion to UK GDP in 2015. Businesses who are inflexible and unwilling to make reasonable adjustments for employees living with MHPs will miss out on a wide array of workplace talent.
Of the people we surveyed, 67 per cent wanted to use flexible working to informally support their mental health and reduce absenteeism. If you are aware an employee with an existing condition is going through a difficult time, offering them the chance to work from home a few days a week or temporarily change their hours can help relieve some of the pressure.
Equip managers with the information they need to spot the common early warning signs an employee needs assistance. Our research shows 90 per cent of line managers we surveyed thought they hadn’t received sufficient training to deal with such issues, so it’s imperative businesses start to address this, whether it’s through regular informal catch-ups or more in-depth training courses.
Surprisingly, nine out of 10 people with an MHP still experience stigma or discrimination, according to the Mental Health Foundation. The workplace is a key battleground for overcoming this and the first step is to create a safe environment in which disclosure is encouraged.
Our research found 42 per cent of people diagnosed with an MHP had not disclosed this to their employer, meaning it’s difficult for businesses to establish a duty of care and offer the right support.
Creating a mental health champions network can help combat negative attitudes and encourage open workplace dialogue. These are individuals who are available for informal chats with employees and can provide more detailed advice on the support available to those who might be struggling. Appointing a champion who has the first-hand experience can also be really effective.
According to a Financial Times report in partnership with Vitality, a significant gap exists between the provision of health programmes and staff awareness. Having a mental health strategy and not communicating it to your staff is just as ineffective as not having one at all.
It may not be rocket science, but Richard Thaler’s ‘nudge theory’ is Nobel Prize-worthy, so regular communication and ‘nudges’ via direct email messaging, text, group meetings or print-outs in common areas is key to success.
Bringing in expert speakers can help get your employees thinking about their lifestyle choices in and outside of work and equip them with the knowledge to take control of and improve their own health and wellbeing.
For example; a recent study by Westfield Health found 83 percent of staff experienced a sleep issue in the previous month, so introducing 30-minute training sessions from a sleep expert containing advice on how to improve sleep patterns and combat factors affecting good sleep could be highly beneficial to your business.
Liz Walker is HR director for Unum UK