MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS
Work is good for your health and health is good for business. Healthy people are happier, more engaged, and more productive. We spend over half of our lives at work, it makes sense that the places we work in and the people who work with us are as healthy as they can be.
We all have mental health in the same way as physical health. Mental health issues are more common than you think:
- 60% of UK employees have experienced a mental health issue due to work, or where work was a contributing factor
- 31% of UK employees have been ‘formally diagnosed’ with a mental health condition
Business in the community 2019 Mental Health at Work Report)
Many of us know little about mental health compared to our physical health. Stigma and lack of awareness can stop people from talking about their mental health, delaying them from getting the support needed for recovery. This silence extends to the workplace. People often avoid disclosing a mental health issue to their employer for fear of being demoted, losing their job, or being judged as less capable and missing out on opportunities.
These concerns are justified in a Bupa poll reflective of most organisational attitudes to mental ill-health: 94% of business leaders admitted to prejudice against people with mental health issues in their organisation.
- 30% of board members think their organisation does ‘very well’ in supporting employees with mental health issues.
- 27% of all employees believe their organisation does not support those with mental health issues at all.
- Only 11% of employees felt able to tell their line manager about their mental health issues.
(Business in the community 2019 Mental Health at Work Report)
CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN WHAT WE THINK AND REALITY
Over half of UK employers would like to do more to improve staff wellbeing but don’t feel they have the right training or guidance, according to research by Mind. Mental health can be a taboo subject, with employers and employees feeling scared or confused about confronting the issue. Even though most line managers feel that employee wellbeing is their responsibility:
- Only 24% have received training in managing an employee with a mental health issue.
- 80% believe there are barriers to supporting their staff.
- 25% feel ‘not very confident’ or ‘not at all confident in recognising mental health issues.
- 35% report having no workplace facilities or services that could help mental health and wellbeing.
Business in the community 2019 Mental Health at Work Report)
BUSINESS BENEFITS OF A HEALTHY WORKPLACE
The good news is that simple steps to improve the management of mental health in the workplace, including prevention and early identification of problems, should enable employers to save 30% or more of the costs associated with mental ill-health, at least £8 billion a year.
Dr Justin Varney, National Lead for Adult Health and Wellbeing at Public Health England says: “Supporting mental health in the workplace is not just a corporate responsibility; staff who have positive mental health are more productive and businesses who promote a progressive approach to mental health can see a significant impact on business performance, so it’s about good business too.”
Recruitment, engagement, and loyalty also benefit in a mentally healthy workplace. 60% of employees would feel more motivated and more likely to recommend their organisation as a good place to work if their employer took action to support mental health and wellbeing.
According to the World Federation for Mental Health, employees favour a workplace that cares for their wellbeing and demonstrates support for wellbeing through a healthy work/life balance and strong diversity policies.
WHAT WORKS FOR WINNS: A WHOLE ORGANISATION STRATEGY
A healthy workplace is one where employees and managers work together to protect and promote their health, safety and wellbeing and the sustainability of WINNS. The only effective, sustainable approach to employee wellbeing involves the WINNS Managements Attitudes filtering down from managers and must be backed up with policies and procedures. WINNS have identified three overall stages to creating a healthy workplace culture:
- Sensitise: if you have any existing support schemes in place, make sure all staff know it's there and how to access it.
- Skills: Signpost your Mental Health First Aiders around the workplace so that all staff know where to go when they need support.
- Sustainability: Create a support network by setting up a mentoring scheme and encouraging staff to sign up as Mental Health First Aiders.