FOCUS HEALTH & SAFETY
TALKING IT OVER
A quick look through the news
will tell you that mental
health awareness has risen up the
agenda in recent years. It’s hardly
surprising when you consider some
of the facts and figures. Research
from Mind, for example, found that
under half of employees polled
believe their manager would
not be able to spot if they were
struggling with poor mental health.
Moreover, the Health and Safety
Executive found that mental health
problems account for almost 60 per
cent of all workdays lost due to ill
health. While the latter statistic
demonstrates a clear business case
for addressing mental health within
the workplace, above everything
else there is an ethical imperative
to treat colleagues’ health seriously
because it’s simply the right thing
to do.
Sadly, stigma still persists. There
are a number of ways this can
manifest but the most common is a
misunderstanding of what mental
health is and how it a ects people
from all walks of life. It’s o en
assumed that poor mental health is
the reserve of knowledge workers or
senior executives, as these are the
people believed to be under the most
pressure and therefore at greatest
risk. Yet the reality is mental health
does not discriminate and it can
a ect anyone at any time. This not
only emphasises how common the
struggle is but also the importance of
making mental health an everyday
conversation in the workplace.
Mental health training should now
form part of any forward-thinking
business strategy but it’s not a
prerequisite for e ective change.
While courses provide an excellent
starting point, there are other simple
measures that businesses can put in
place to ensure those struggling are
properly looked a er.
CREATING AN OPEN DIALOGUE
IN THE WORKPLACE
Ending stigma around mental health
40 OCTOBER 2019
in the workplace begins with an open
dialogue. It’s o en said we spend one
third of our lives at work, making it
vital that issues are raised and dealt
with quickly. While this may involve
hearing criticism, it’s important to
keep in mind that an emotionally
unresponsive workplace is not
only detrimental to people’s health
and happiness but also damaging
for output. As the Mental Health
Foundation points out, good mental
health at work and good management
go hand in hand and there is strong
evidence that workplaces with high
levels of mental wellbeing are more
productive. Some estimates place the
increase at as much as 12 per cent – a
potentially transformative di erence.
So, what does an ‘open dialogue’
look like? This depends on the
company. Some organisations will
do something simple like a co ee
morning, others might choose to be
more formal by hiring a wellbeing
manager. There is no ‘right’ way but
it’s important to ensure that whatever
is put in place is e ective. That means
ensuring sta are comfortable with
the process and feel able to share, if
necessary. BMG, for example, has an
‘open door’ policy, where employees
are encouraged to communicate with
line managers who have received
mental health training. This approach
allows sta to share with colleagues
they know and trust.
ACKNOWLEDGE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS
Mental health is unique to each
individual. Some will be comfortable
opening up and some will not. It’s
vital to acknowledge this aspect of
mental health, particularly in the
workplace where the pressure and
fear of discrimination can be more
pronounced. Ultimately, respect must
be granted to those who would prefer
to keep their work and their personal
life separate. Forcing the issue will
likely result in a negative reaction
and only exacerbate matters. What’s
important is the o er of unjudgmental
support, that’s there any time a
colleague might need it.
TACKLE PRESENTEEISM
The work-life balance is hardly a new
concept, yet its message has never
seemed more important. According to
research from the CIPD, presenteeism
has more than tripled since 2010, with
86 per cent of respondents saying they
had observed sta staying much later
than o icial o ice hours. The damage
that this behaviour has on morale,
not to mention quality of work and
overall output, is well documented
yet the problem persists. Shockingly,
the CIPD’s research also found that
less than a quarter of organisations
are taking steps to stop sta from
working overtime, or when ill or on
annual leave. This issue requires a
cultural accord to see lasting change.
If businesses are serious about
colleagues’ wellbeing they need to
set rules on recommended working
practices and enforce them.
SECURE SENIOR LEVEL BUY-IN
Mental health awareness advocates
will o en say that senior buy-in is
the biggest obstacle to securing
better workplace wellbeing, yet as
psychologists Emma Donaldson-
Feilder and Rachel Lewis point out,
these leaders are o en the key to
better workplace wellbeing.
The ‘silent’ nature of mental
health can make it di icult for some
to accept that it has a significant
e ect on how businesses function,
but the evidence could not be
more compelling. To really make a
di erence in the workplace, business
leaders need to be fully on board
with a wellbeing strategy and lead by
example.
EMBED AND DEVELOP CULTURE
OF WELLBEING
Workplace culture is a di icult thing
to define at the best of times, but
everyone knows what it is and how
it a ects sta . To really succeed in
creating a working environment
that prioritises health, it’s important
to first address the aspects that
fall short. This might be inflexible
o ice hours, long distance travel or
‘unspoken rules’ that no one has
ever thought to challenge. While this
‘back to basics’ approach may result
in a few di icult conversations, it’s
worth the e ort as these changes
will ultimately rebuild colleagues’
trust in their employer. Following up
these changes with sta is vital as
they are the ones who will be able
to determine if they actually work
or not. Workplace wellbeing isn’t a
static concept; it requires constant
development to be truly e ective.
Linda Wheatley, Group Compliance Director at Business Moves
Group argues that a culture change is required to improve the
mental wellbeing of the workforce