Not supporting mental health in the workplace is costly: 70 million workdays are lost each year to mental health problems in the UK, costing employers an estimated £2.4 billion annually. Mental health problems can interfere with employees’ well-being and job performance, and present in a number of ways including anxiety, depression and stress. Employees struggling with their mental health may have trouble concentrating or communicating and can be easily irritable.
Everyone’s mental health fluctuates on a spectrum from good to poor, although for some this is more pronounced than others, and those with diagnosed conditions such as anxiety or depression may require extra care and accommodations. Mental health is affected by a variety of factors both in and outside work. Statistics show that 1 in 6 workers is dealing with a mental health problem. Employers have a legal duty to take care of the safety of their employees and this includes mental health, however only 53% of employees feel comfortable talking about mental health issues at work due to the stigma that surrounds them. This leads to what’s known as presenteeism.
THE DAMAGE OF PRESENTEEISM
Presenteeism is when employees attend work even though they are not mentally or physically fit to perform their duties due to a feeling of pressure or obligation. 22% of employees reported that they worked whilst feeling mentally unwell. Working when in poor mental health can result in bad decision making, poor judgement, lack of motivation and can increase the employee’s stress levels. Stress, along with anxiety and depression, accounts for more than 51% of long term sick leave and almost 50% of employees said that people are leaving the companies where they work due to burnout.
HOW TO SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE
Developing mental health support in the workplace could save businesses in the UK up to £8 million per year, by helping employees develop healthy coping mechanisms. The support people receive from their employer is key in determining how well and how quickly they are able to get back to peak performance.
Let’s look at some initiatives that employers can implement to support mental health in the workplace:
PROVIDE EMPLOYEES WITH COUNSELLING
Provide all employees with access to free and confidential workplace counselling. If an employee’s work is suffering for personal reasons or their personal life is suffering due to work, they may benefit from counselling to help manage the problems. In some organisations, workplace counselling interventions have resulted in a 50% reduction in absence rates. Individuals need to be able to discuss their psychological health with an expert in a safe space, and providing employees with a counsellor will allow them to have a secure space to express themselves.
IMPLEMENT AN EMPLOYEE ASSITANCE PROGRAMME
Provide your staff with an internal, independent Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). An EAP is a work-based program focussed on supporting mental health in the workplace and typically includes confidential assessments, short-term counselling, referrals and follow-up services to employees who have personal and/or work-related problems. An EAP is a confidential workplace service that employers pay for. It can help employees deal with work-life stressors, family issues, financial concerns, relationship problems and addiction issues. In turn, your workforce will likely be happier and more productive, taking fewer sick days and working harder.
TRAIN MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDERS
A mental health first aider is someone who has completed a recognised certification course in mental health first aid. They’re the go-to person for anyone who is struggling with some form of mental health issue. Mental health first aiders are not qualified to provide therapy, but they are there to identify those who are struggling and provide initial support before guiding them towards the right next steps. They can be an effective first line of defence in shielding your staff from slipping into further difficulties.
PROVIDE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SUPPORT
Mental health support in the workplace should be as much of a priority as physical health, and facilitating occupational health support for your team is a big step in the right direction. Occupational health is a speciality that specifically considers the effects of work on health. It also evaluates an individual’s ability and fitness to perform a particular job, which includes both physical and mental health. Ensuring a person is holistically able to tackle a given role as well as monitoring how their performance of it impacts their overall health, is crucial. This information not only informs how you allocate your staff but should also give feedback about how you can adapt roles to make them less harmful to your employees.
INTRODUCE MINDFULNESS-BASED PROGRAMMES
Mindfulness is a therapeutic technique aimed at achieving a calm mental state. At an individual level, mindfulness helps build resilience and promotes a healthy method of regulating emotions. The development of mindfulness is a scientifically proven form of meditation which improves cognitive functions essential for performing multiple job activities. At an organisational level, this practice helps improve communication, assessment and decision-making and builds cooperation. Mindfulness based programmes have been found to result in a significant improvement in the mental health of employees two years after the initial intervention.
SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE WITH CLOVER HR
All these strategies will help bolster mental health support in the workplace, but knowing which ones are right for your specific circumstances can be difficult, and understanding how to effectively implement them is harder still.
That’s where Clover HR can help. Our team of expert HR professionals can identify gaps in your workplace mental health support and help you introduce the most efficient methods to improve employee well-being, reduce staff absences and bring your turnover rate under control.
To get started, just call us now on 0330 175 6601, email us at info@cloverhr.co.uk or fill out our contact form by clicking here.
