Mental Health: 5 Reasons why employers should care.

Work may not be a place for friends, but its just as important to check in on those around you and under your leadership. And I'm mostly looking at you Gents!

Preface

Not a friend, therapist...but a Human.

Ok, you didn’t hire people into your team in order to make friends or to become a therapist. Focus on the first word of the department titled "Human Resources". And guess what, both you and the people that make up your team are Human. In the same way you may be turning up to work, after having to deal with a nightmare evening of family problems, but still under work pressure, so do they.

I want to work, not to cry.

Not only did you not sign up to the secondary role of therapist, but people don't often come to work to unload their emotional baggage. Surprisingly most people want to go to work, do what they’ve got to do, have a Tesco meal deal or a Leon box, do a bit more of what they're paid to do and then head home.

But, they are often expected to work for about 35% of the hours they are awake per week and it is up to a manager to make that 40 hours a place to thrive, grow and be heard. Do you remember a time you told your manager you were struggling, and it was met with an "ah I'm sorry to hear that, it's a tough time for everyone at the moment".

Maybe employers and colleagues don't know how to have that conversation, but its vital that you learn!

Boys get sad too.

People of all genders go through hard times at work and are forced to bring personal struggles with them. But I want to highlight the challenges for men. Primarily because I am a man and I can speak directly for what I have experienced, but also because the social dynamic between men in the workplace is different, which is often ignored at the moment. We forget that while changes in workplace attitudes are 100% needed, not much change has been made to the way in which men work.

And guess what, the state of men's mental health will impact the experience of both the men AND women around them!

1. Mental Health symptoms are more prevalent than you may be apparent, particularly in men.

It almost sounds like a made up statistic, but its true. The fact that every 30 seconds, a man in the UK loses his life to something that could have been prevented. Suicide is the biggest killer in men under 45 in the UK, and it almost feels like sometimes nothing is being done.

In a poll published by the Priory Group [1]:

77% of men in the workplace have reported suffering from a mental health symptom of some kind.

40% of men have never talked about their mental health.

The only way to help reduce these stats is giving men the safety and security to talk without judgement, repercussion, or a "5 step action plan to fix them".

It may not be obvious, but someone in your team is more than likely struggling in some form of another. It's not your fault, or your responsibility to fix it, but don’t ignore it.

2. Authenticity and opening up has been stigmatised.

"Men don't cry", "Stiff upper lip" "Don't stick your head above the parapet".

In the last few centuries, there has been a gradual ascent into a 'macho' masculinity in the UK, where a man that talks about his emotions is considered "emo" or "metrosexual". I have even heard women deeming men that open up about their emotions as "too feminine". Its almost like we have celebrated the "Silent Man" over the "Introspective Male", which is downright insanity.

Authenticity is what we need. Its what a healthy non-toxic business needs.

Authenticity and acceptance breeds unbeatable communication, and real problem solving. None of this business where the loudest person in the room is considered the cleverest person in the room. No more businesses, walking blindly into decisions where people are too scared to give their honest opinions.

Lead and breed authenticity in your team.

Without the giving the team the space and room to be authentic, you don't really have a team. You have workers.

3. We shouldn’t be punishing people for talking.

If someone is walking with a limp and they are unable to get around the office quickly, you don’t punish them for being a terrible employee. They expect to be able to openly tell their employer that they are in pain, and that they can still carry on with the caveat that if gets worse, you can rest up.

Now when was the last time you told your manager that you were having a hard time and that you may need to offload some work for a little bit? Did you feel like you might be judged? Or maybe even punished? Thought of differently perhaps?

This shouldn’t be the case.

Mental health is a new concept in the world of work, and it may be easy to manipulate as an excuse by the wrong people. But if you build trust and an open dialogue, any good manager will know that someone in their team is having a hard time.

Give those in your team the space and environment to be frank about what they're going through if they need.?

4. Mental Health issues can temporarily cloud judgement.

Depression and anxiety can cloud judgement. Just as in acute or chronic physical pain, that migraine that is completely overwhelming and the ensuing brain fog; mental health issues can impair our decision making and ability to think critically.

In teams where detail is critical and deadlines are reminiscent of a game of Tetris, isn't it vital to make sure that everyone is able to think as clearly as possible? Mental health symptoms are not always chronic, with time and the right environment things can start to settle again. Much like a muscle that fatigues on a run.

Make sure that your team are given the space and rest required to work at their best, and don’t punish them when they're tired.

5. People are the HEART of your team and your business.

If a business were an organism, the people would be the heart. Without the regular beat of the people in your business, it becomes lethargic, pale in the face, and carbon dioxide rich; no longer supplying the required oxygen to get things done and grow.

Much like a blood supply, toxicity in a work culture may start as small blemishes in the skin, but will eventually shut your business down in a very slow and painful way. Low moral, blame culture and a lack of direction.

Protect your people from toxicity and negative values with an iron fist and make an example of it. Phrases like "you are soft" will eventually transform from mere words, into the real values of your business, and people WILL LEAVE.

Summary

Mental health issues are not new problems, but society has started to see that flogging a tired horse doesn't win you races. It creates tired horses and a blame culture.

Remember: Look out for those around you, including the quiet men who have been taught that it's not their place to talk about what is going on inside their head.

Remember: Give those who want to authentic the space and time to do so, with no judgment and with empathy. It will only help your team bloom in the long run.

Remember: Don’t label those going through difficulty as "weak" or soft. We all go through hard times, life is difficult and we all deal with things in different ways. Be accepting of people and their ways of working. Bad times, blow over.

Remember: Remove any toxic behaviour from your company. It will spread to the heart of your business and shut it down from the inside.

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Reference:

[1]https://www.priorygroup.com/blog/40-of-men-wont-talk-to-anyone-about-their-mental-health