Employer Checklist for a Healthy Workplace

Mental Health Awareness week is Monday, 13th May – Sunday, 19th May 2019. In a world that is increasingly opening up to and understanding those with mental health issues, it's no surprise that Mental Health Awareness Week is now a firmer fixture on calendars around the UK and beyond.

• The Mental Health Foundation is the UK’s charity for everyone’s mental health. With prevention at the heart of what they do, their aim is to find and address the sources of mental health problems.They have a checklist on their website, for employers to help support staff members:Commit to developing an approach to mental health at work that protects and improves mental health for everyone, whilst supporting those people who experience distress. Ensure senior leaders and middle managers are responsible for implementing mental health programmes.
• Commit to reviewing the way you do business to ensure your everyday working culture is as mentally healthy as possible. Make evidence based mental health promotion tools like mindfulness and exercise available to all staff.
• Regular staff surveys and other research to build data about staff mental health, using findings to plan and deliver action and inform workplace policies. Recognise and celebrate the impact of existing employee benefits and corporate social responsibility activities on the mental health and wellbeing of staff.
• Provide opportunities for managers to attend relevant training to support staff living with mental health problems and the wellbeing of all staff more widely.
• Provide proactive support for staff line-managing people with mental health problems, including access to HR and, where necessary, occupational health services.
• Recognise that line managers who have personal lived experience of mental health problems are a unique asset to a company.
• Ensure that discrimination on the grounds of mental health status is seen to be as unacceptable as discrimination in relation to other protected characteristics such as race, gender or sexual orientation.
• Encourage staff to report any discrimination or harassment they face and to blow the whistle on discrimination they witness.
• Include mental health in diversity & inclusion strategies and recognise the mental health component of wider equality initiatives. Ensure your business creates opportunities to link with employability providers to enable people with mental health problems to join your workforce.
• Give people positive reasons to disclose by establishing a culture that values authenticity and openness; this should be led from the top of the organisation.
• Explore setting up peer support and mentoring programmes for staff with lived experience of mental health problems.

 If you would like advice on supporting your staff members with mental health, visit The Mental Health Foundation website here. They offer a range of advice and support, including a range of content designed to give you more information about mental health.