Leading with empathy: Driving meaningful strategies for mental health in the workplace

As November comes to a close, the global focus on International Men’s Day and Movember has sparked vital conversations about men’s mental health. Personally, I have been reflecting on the societal expectations and stereotypes surrounding masculinity – ones that often encourage us to stay silent about our challenges. As a male leader, grappling with stigma has occasionally led me to try and hide my vulnerabilities. But now, I actively seize opportunities to open up, hoping to motivate others to share their own experiences.

Avoiding wellbeing washing

The larger spotlight on mental health has remained a lasting ripple effect from the coronavirus pandemic, as more businesses have begun to highlight their employee wellbeing strategies. But many employers have fallen into the trap of saying and not doing, with a recent survey finding that 35% of businesses are “wellbeing washing” – meaning that much of businesses’ public show of support does not actually match their internal provision for employees.??

This mismatch deteriorates the levels of trust that teams have in us as leaders and has much more long-term effects on their happiness inside and outside work.?

Currently, mental health is one of the most common reasons for employees to take sick days in the UK - with the BBC reporting that UK workers are taking more sick days than at any point in the last decade . And this is hardly surprising, with rising pressures like the cost of living. Recent statistics also revealed that?mental health sick days taken by civil servants have risen by 38% ?in just one year – and in the NHS, mental health issues account for almost a quarter of all staff absences in England.?

Fighting stigma with dialogue?

To properly reduce the stigma around mental health in the workplace, leaders need to create dialogue around issues like stress and burnout.

Doing this is something that I am personally very passionate about, having struggled with anxiety throughout my life. I have not always felt that I could discuss my experiences and challenges with anxiety openly – especially in the workplace where leaders face a lot of pressure to “put on a brave face”.?

Sharing these types of personal insights is not something that leaders have been previously encouraged to do, however, I have found that the more I am open about my own struggles, the more it helps others around me to do the same.?

Finding what works

When it comes down to it, people are your most valuable asset, so investing in initiatives like awareness campaigns, community building, and mental health benefits should be more than just empty promises.?

Personally, I aim to lead the charge in creating a workplace, and society, that promotes positive mental health and well-being. But knowing what good looks like can be difficult for businesses just starting to build out mental health policies.??

I’ve learnt that the most effective way to improve my business was to increase the communication channels for employees to share their thoughts and ideas. Showing them that their voices are heard at leadership level goes a long way in cultivating a culture of transparency and inclusivity.?

With higher transparency with your team, you can identify the root cause of problems, and therefore the solutions, faster.?

What we do

At Elements, our feedback loop drove us to develop new support mechanisms like:?

• Mental Health First Aiders Committee - This is a group of employees driven to shape the organisation's mental health culture by conducting thorough research, facilitating workgroups, and brainstorming solutions to enhance support within Elements. The group has been a huge help in holding the company accountable for its aims.?
• The “'Your Way of Working” programme (aka. YWOW) - This allows employees to work from anywhere, no matter the time zone, to give each person flexibility. When work can shift to fit all preferences and lifestyles, employees are much happier and more productive.?
• Life and Charity Days – Each employee is entitled to three days each year to support a charitable cause of their choice, fostering a culture of giving back to the community.?
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – This initiative offers 24/7 counselling and support for employees facing mental health challenges.

Programmes like these are just a small part of what we do to build greater awareness and communication around mental health. But one of the most important things we do to support all these initiatives is promoting an open-door policy with our leadership. This means we try and encourage employees to have more one-on-one interactions with leaders to get real-time feedback. The more we can do to break down barriers between employees and their leaders, the better.??

Committing to the journey

The journey to improving mental health and wellbeing at work is not always easy, but immensely worthwhile. I have taken steps to destigmatise mental health at Elements, but I am always committed to finding ways to ensure that empathy is at the heart of the way we work at Elements.?