The Importance of Mental Wellbeing in the Workplace
Robert Stevens
Managing Director of Optix Solutions, Boutique Marketing Agency & Winner of Campaign's Best Places to Work 2021 - 2024 & Campaign's 40 over 40, 2024
World Suicide Prevention Day holds a very significant space in my personal life, it’s a moment for me to reflect on my Father’s suicide back in 2006.?
Whilst I appreciate this is a sensitive topic and one that isn’t easy to discuss, I also recognise that without open and honest discussion we will struggle to dispel the stigma often associated with suicide.
With this information I hope you will see why we take mental health so seriously here at Optix and enjoy the article.
It is common knowledge that our mental health has a direct impact on our thoughts, behaviours and emotions. Having good mental health can vastly improve quality of life, which is why looking after it and being mindful of it is highly important.
Our mental wellbeing also reflects onto our ability to perform at work - when we’re happy, we’re more likely to thrive at work and when we’re unhappy, our work is likely to suffer. Positive mental wellbeing allows us to thrive at work because it allows us to focus without distractions that hinder our productivity. Unfortunately, in the workplace, mental health problems are common. According to the mental health charity Mind, one in six workers is experiencing mental health problems, including anxiety and depression.
At Optix, we view the mental wellbeing of our team as a top priority for the above reasons and strive to create a working environment that supports the team and their needs. Our workplace seeks to promote positivity and prevent the team from struggling. One way in which we do this is by creating a sense of community. We hold regular socials such as drinks, dog walks and photography competitions to make sure that no member of the team feels alone and to remind ourselves of the importance of a healthy work-life balance.
We also aim to reduce any pressure on employees - we make use of flexible working, allowing the team to move their hours to suit and to work from wherever they are most comfortable. Reducing any unnecessary stress on employees will reduce the risk of them becoming overwhelmed, having an overall positive impact on their mental wellbeing.
As much as we like to focus on creating a positive working environment at Optix, we also recognise that mental health is not straightforward. Despite having preventative measures in place, employees may still be struggling due to personal reasons. This is why we also place high importance on openness. We are all aware of the stigma surrounding mental health which is why it is important in the workplace that the team knows they can confide in someone if needed.
At Optix, the directors encourage the team to be open about their mental wellbeing and make it clear that they can seek help if they are having any difficulties. This idea is reinforced in team meetings to reassure the team of the support they can receive if needed.?
It is also important as a team leader to be aware of any changes in the external environment that might impact the mental wellbeing of employees. Over the past year, the pandemic has had an enormous impact on mental health, and we should all be mindful of how differently each of us will feel towards the situation.
Currently, many of us are returning to work in the office. However, employees will likely feel varying levels of comfort about returning. Some will be eager to get back to the social environment of the workplace and will throw themselves fully into the “old ways of working”. These differing viewpoints have the potential to unintentionally cause groups within the workplace who find themselves in conflict.
We have been careful at Optix to ensure all members of the team feel comfortable as we begin to increase the amount of time we spend working in the office. There are a number of precautions you can take to ensure your team feels comfortable at this time:
·??????Communicate with your team about how you plan to create a Covid-secure workplace and listen to the input of your team on this topic as this is key to ensuring they feel safe.
·??????Openly acknowledge the legitimate anxiety some people will be experiencing
·??????Regularly ask employees if they are happy with the working environment
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·??????Actively respond to changes in government Covid advice
·??????Limit the capacity of people in the office at any one time to ensure capacity is at a level all employees are comfortable with
·??????Increase 1:1 meetings gradually to ensure employees don’t feel overwhelmed
At Optix, we have worked hard to create a Covid-secure environment that we believe our team will all feel comfortable and happy working in. We have involved staff in decisions to create a safe place to work and to make it feel like their environment again. Becky Brennan, our Accounts Director, has commented about what it has been like to return to the office once again:
“It’s been great to be back in the office and see colleagues again; our office space is pretty big and our desks are nicely spaced out so I haven’t felt concerned about being too close to anyone. We have hand sanitiser and cleaning equipment easy to hand throughout the office, and we have big windows we can open to encourage air flow. We’ve implemented an online check-in system so we can see how many people are planning to be in the office each day, allowing us to make decisions if we feel at all uncomfortable about numbers of people.
So far I haven’t had any negative experience and have felt fully comfortable; but I know that if any point that was to change, Optix would be open to hearing my concerns and fully supportive of any flexibility I want to put in place to feel more at ease.”
Supporting our team’s mental wellbeing and listening to their thoughts and concerns is something we are incredibly proud of at Optix, and we aim to continue to do so in the future. Positivity and openness creates a feeling of togetherness in the workplace is something that we believe strengthens our ability to collectively produce top-quality work for our clients.
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Co-founder of Optix Solutions
3 年Really lovely article Rob, thank you for sharing?
I help busy business owners build thriving, growing businesses—without the constant feeling that everything’s coming back to you.
3 年Thanks for sharing this Robert, it's great to see a business showing leadership in this area because you recognise that it's the right thing to do. I'm sure it will also benefit you,r employees and clients. Good to hear you had some good times on hols despite the British summer!