Mental Health Awareness Week: Practical Tips for Organisations, Employers and Employees

It is #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek and I thought I would dedicate a newsletter to this, with a summary of some of the bits I have seen, and networking you with people within social care who are leading on the conversations, and who you should most definitely reach out to.

Current Stats

Approximately 1 in 6 employees in the UK reports having a mental health condition.

Stress, depression, and anxiety are leading causes of sickness absence, accounting for 14.3 million working days lost per year (7.6% of sickness absence)

What can you do as an employer?

Employers should promote good mental health as well as providing support when an issue emerges.? Poor mental health support can lead to:

• Increased absence
• poor performance
• increase staff turnover
• conflict at work
• reputational damage

The?Mental Health at Work Commitment provides a framework to help organisations put in place the key actions needed to support better mental health outcomes for employees, and links to practical tools to help implement each of the six standards. Signing the commitment sends a strong message to employees as well as the wider community that mental health is a priority for the organisation.?

The UK government has launched a?Voluntary Reporting framework ?to support employers to report on disability, mental health and disability. This will help to ensure that an employer’s approach to inclusive employment and progression is integrated across the organisation and taken seriously by managers and employees. See the?advice hub ?launched by Acas and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BIES) for advice on ensuring that workers with disabilities get the best support at work.

Workplaces should ensure they have a wellbeing policy and plan in place, or working towards a structure to support their workforce.

Ensure you have an open door

Be aware of where to sign post people to

What should a wellbeing policy include?

A wellbeing policy should cover both physical and mental health. It should:

• Begin with a clear statement which commits the organisation to fostering a working environment that promotes employee health and wellbeing.
• Be championed by senior management.
• Be kept under constant review.
• Outline the responsibilities of key stakeholders including senior leaders, people professionals,?occupational health ?and employees.
• Set out the available advice, support and training to enhance employee wellbeing.
• Incorporate the process for evaluating the effectiveness of all wellbeing initiatives.

An organisation’s approach to wellbeing should treat people as individuals with varying needs and who require tailored support.

If you need support with a Mental Health policy, I would recommend reaching out to Sonia Rai - HR Queen Bee who will be able to spend time with you, understanding your business and its needs to support you with this.

What can you do as an manager?

Employing the right person for the job in the first place is crucial to help prevent stress and promote good wellbeing. A key source of work-related stress and poor mental health is a misfit between the individual and the role, or between the needs and values of the person and those of the work environment.

Review job descriptions to ensure they are accurate

Ensure the companies directors and senior leadership team are invested in implementing a Mental Health policy and workplace plan

Some of the impacts associated with poor mental health at work occur because undetected problems are left unchecked and spiral into a crisis. Good communication and people management skills can help to prevent stress and poor mental health among employees – often it’s about a common-sense approach. Ensure you offer flexible-working and an true open door policy

Watch out for signs of poor mental health which could include:

• Fatigue
• Anxiety or distress
• Increased smoking and drinking
• Tearfulness
• Headaches
• Feeling low
• Being withdrawn
• Mood changes
• Resigned attitude
• Irritability, anger or aggression
• Lateness, leaving early or extended lunches

Encourage people to talk about their mental health, and here is a useful conversation checklist:

Conversation checklist

• Avoid interruptions – switch off phones, ensure colleagues can’t interrupt.
• Ask simple, open, non-judgemental questions.
• Avoid judgemental or patronising responses.
• Speak calmly.
• Maintain good eye contact.
• Listen actively and carefully.
• Encourage the employee to talk.
• Show empathy and understanding.
• Be prepared for some silences and be patient.
• Focus on the person, not the problem.
• Avoid making assumptions or being prescriptive.
• Follow up in writing, especially agreed actions or support.

Implement Wellness Action Plans

What should a Wellness Action Plan cover?

• approaches the staff member can adopt to support their mental wellbeing
• early warning signs of poor mental health to look out for
• any workplace triggers for poor mental health or stress
• potential impact of poor mental health on performance, if any
• what support they need from you as their manager
• actions and positive steps you will both take if the staff member is experiencing stress or poor mental health
• an agreed time to review the Wellness Action Plan and any support measures that are in place
• anything else that the individual feels would be useful in supporting their mental health.?

You can find Mind’s template Wellness Action Plans in addition to a manager’s guide in their use on the Mind website .?

?What can you do as an employee?

1. Self-Care - Prioritise self-care by getting enough rest, maintaining a balanced diet, and staying physically active. Set boundaries between work and personal life to prevent burnout.
2. Mindfulness and Stress Reduction - Practice mindfulness techniques, such as meditation or deep breathing exercises, to reduce stress. Take short breaks during the day to recharge and refocus.
3. Seek Social Support - Connect with colleagues, friends, and family to build a support network. Share your feelings and concerns with someone you trust.
4. Know Your Triggers - Identify situations or tasks that cause stress or anxiety. Develop coping strategies to manage these triggers effectively.
5. Communication - Communicate openly with your manager or HR about your well-being. Discuss workload, deadlines, and any challenges you’re facing.
6. Learn Stress Management Techniques - Consider techniques like time management, assertiveness, and problem-solving. Learn that is is okay to say no.

Support Available

The Care Workers' Charity can provide support with mental health, have great wellbeing tips and much more. Find out more here

Grace Cares CIC ?? not-for-profit on a mission to MAKE CARE SUSTAINABLE ?? can pay for you to access mental health first aid or a qualified therapist from one of their approved providers. Find out more here

Note: both these organisations rely on donations to keep them going, so please consider donations, especially if you or your company uses their services. Give back and help pay for someone else to also receive support.

Who else can I contact

There are some great people supporting the mental health of organisations and individuals, and I would recommend reaching out to:

• Lucy Buxton
• Emma Saccomani

Remember, mental health is not just from poor health/wellbeing, and can be caused due to financial concerns, issues at home, lack of support in the workplace and much more.

Molly Johnson-Jones has a great blog and posts about work-life balance

Sharon MacArthur is able to support with a menopause training and upskilling

Kaye Price DipPFS CeMAP Financial Wellbeing Planner is able to support with financial planning

Further upskilling

If you have got this far and want to keep exploring and upskilling, then hats off to you! Here are two great sessions I co-hosted with my The Caring View ???? hat on:

Building Financial Resilience: Supporting your Employees

This was recorded last year, but covers so many great tips and takeaways for both employers and employees to get on top of their finances. I was joined by Kaye Price DipPFS CeMAP Financial Wellbeing Planner , Sophie Swain and Ashraf Sherdel

Nurturing and Empowering Employee Resilience

This was recorded last night (14th May) and joining me was Fae Mell ?? and Lucy Buxton . The recording discusses the current state of mental health in the workplace, how you can embed culture, some great tips of what you can do as an organisation, how to review current mental health arrangements and much more.

You can also read Kaye's Financial Wellbeing Top Tip blog here

There is a great Easy Read Guide to Good Mental Health which you can download and use, available from Open Mental Health here

Below is a snippet of what this looks like

Final thoughts

Mental health in the workplace is everyone's responsibility and requires collaborative efforts from employers, employees, and organisations.

Employers should create a supportive culture, provide training and make reasonable adjustments.

Employees should prioritise self-care, seek support and manage stress effectively.

Organisations must develop clear policies, promote wellbeing programs and reduce stigma.

By working together, we can create mentally healthy workplaces that benefit everyone.

#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek