Ahead of World Mental Health Day, Sally Campbell argues that proactive mental health support, training and, if necessary, intervention is a conversation employers, managers and occupational health need to have as workplaces look beyond the pandemic.
This weekend marks World Mental Health Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of good mental health. After an incredibly tough year, which has seen many of us battle feelings of anxiety, stress and worry, focusing on employee wellbeing is more important than ever.
Mental health issues were on the rise even before the pandemic hit, with a staggering 17.9 million working days lost due to work-related stress, depression and anxiety in 2019/20 alone, but successive lockdowns, homeworking and furlough, coupled with health and money worries, have exacerbated the situation immensely.
By the middle of 2020, one in five people in the UK were suffering from some form of depression – almost twice the number recorded in the year before the pandemic.
As workplaces adjust to a post-pandemic world, it is critical that employee wellbeing rises to the top of the agenda. Good mental health is vital in enabling employees to cope with challenges, manage stress and express and regulate emotions so that they can thrive in their role.
Not only is it ethically the right thing to do, but there is a strong business case too. Wellbeing and productivity are inextricably linked and businesses that invest in the wellbeing of their people and work hard to build a supportive and open culture will reap the rewards of a happier, more positive and motivated workforce.
Putting support in place
Awareness of employee wellbeing has come on leaps and bounds in recent years but there is still some way to go. Research has shown that fewer than half of employees feel their employer supports their mental health and many worry that they’ll be treated differently if they admit they’re struggling.
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Those who do muster up the courage to talk about how they’re feeling are often faced with inadequate support systems. But the old saying rings true – prevention is better than cure. While there is no one size fits all solution, it’s important that employers use a range of tools and resources to meet the different needs of their individual employees and put strategies in place to prevent and flag up potential issues before they snowball.
Fortunately, there are lots of services that focus on prevention, early detection and intervention. For example, implementing focused, proactive services, such as remote GP access, guided online CBT therapy and musculoskeletal self-management for aches and pains can provide employees with support and guidance that is complementary to more traditional face to face services. Providing employees with on-demand GP helplines and counselling allows them to access confidential help and support at their own pace.
It is also important that employers increase provisions for more general mental health advice through support hotlines, wellbeing apps and online resources. In doing so, leaders send out a clear message that they’re committed to improving the health and wellbeing of their employees.
There are also a number of specific awareness campaigns such as World Mental Health Day, Mental Health Awareness Week in May and Men’s Health Week in June that employers can use to indirectly capture the attention of their staff.
Sports events, fundraising and charity initiatives are a great way to bring health awareness to the fore and start a conversation among employees. It’s through encouraging these conversations and providing the right support that employers can start to remove the stigma surrounding mental health.
Communication is key
While it’s vital that businesses put in place the right tools and resources for their staff, it’s equally important that leaders recognise the role honest and open communication plays in creating a happy and healthy workforce.
Leadership isn’t necessarily about portraying a physical presence in the office but about making staff feel valued and included. Leaders should keep employees informed about the reasoning behind business decisions and operate an open-door policy that allows employees to raise concerns or worries they may have. This level of honesty helps to demonstrate to employees that the business has its people’s best interests at heart.
The more a business champions its managers for supporting people with their mental health, the more comfortable these conversations become.”
However, the secret to great communication isn’t simply about talking but actively listening to others and understanding what is being said. As more employees return to the workplace after a long period at home, some may be feeling anxious about commuting or sitting too close to others in the office. Leaders must be able and willing to field concerns through empathetic listening so that employees feel comfortable discussing their worries with them and know that they will be taken seriously.
Naturally, the move to remote working has made this sort of interaction that little bit harder over the past 18 months. For employees that continue to work from home full or part time, the opportunities for informal chats with colleagues are fewer and further between and discussions tend to be less interactive.
Managers need to acknowledge this dynamic and make sure they that regularly check in with their employees on a one-to-one basis and create opportunities for teams to come together in small groups if everyone is comfortable. Continuing to foster a sense of connection when physically apart is essential to helping build trust in this new way of working.
Training and education
Managers are often at the forefront of communication between employees and senior leaders and it’s vital that they are equipped with the right tools to both recognise and respond to employees who are suffering poor mental health.
Worryingly, a study by Opinium found only two thirds of managers would know what to do if an employee told them they were struggling, while nearly half admitted they did not know how to support mental health and wellbeing on a more general basis.
Providing mental health training for managers will not only help them to spot the early warning signs that someone may be struggling but will ensure that they have the confidence to provide the right support for that employee. The more a business champions its managers for supporting people with their mental health, the more comfortable these conversations become.
With that in mind, businesses should also be proactive with mental health training across the broader organisation and a great way of doing this is to create a network of wellbeing champions. Mental Health First Aid England provides training courses to businesses, arming designated individuals with the skills to act as a first point of contact and guidance for employees experiencing a mental health issue.
As we move forward, trust, transparency and communication will be key to breaking down the stigma around mental health and building stronger teams, shared goals and a culture that values and supports its people’s wellbeing. World Mental Health Day is the perfect time to start.
