Our CPD article looks at the challenges occupational health and wellbeing professionals perceive in their roles and the skills needed to make their work a success. The following activities, compiled by Professor Anne Harris, are designed to help OH practitioners develop their understanding further.
Activity 1
Bullying and stigmatisation of stress and mental health issues significantly affect workplace wellbeing. Consider what the resources from the UK government, CIPD, Acas and Mind say about bullying and think about how it might impact wellbeing.
Activity 2
Organisational “wellbeing-washing” merely pays lip service to effective wellbeing strategies. To learn more about wellbeing washing, read these blog posts from Unmind, Claro and SOM, and consider these resources from Business in the Community and CIPD which highlight what needs to be included in an effective wellbeing strategy.
There are also lessons to be learned from the Covid-19 pandemic. This academic journal from Iosh illustrates this in relation to employee health and wellbeing.
Rather than wellbeing washing, developing good work is an important element of workplace wellbeing strategies. The CIPD Good Work Index is useful background reading, as is its report on health and wellbeing at work.
Activity 3
Promoting psychological safety may help address stigma associated with mental health. Read this article to find out more.
Our CPD article by Prof Gail Kinman and Angela Steel says that many wellbeing leads demonstrate a strong capacity for driving change. Read this Forbes article which elaborates on this.
Activity 4
Watch the following TED talks to explore workplace wellbeing and mental health further.
Workplace Wellbeing – Cary Cooper
The Elephant in Your Office Has a Mental Illness – Ashley Sides Johnson
Workplace Mental Health – Tom Oxley
Fostering Mental Health in the Workplace – Jessie Redlo
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