Mental Health: It's Time To Give A Damn

Mental ill health is thought to be responsible for 91 million lost working days each year in the UK. Let that sink in a moment. 91 million. Analysts even reckon this sickness absence costs businesses around ￡8.4 billion per year. That’s more than a few pennies, so it’s strange considering this, that many employers don’t make it a priority to promote good mental health in the workplace.

Of course, not all causes of ill mental health are within your control. But there are steps you can take to create a more positive and supportive workplace. Social stigma is the largest barrier we have to promoting positive mental health. The thing is, that organisations that promote positive mental health and educates its staff can tackle this stigma head on – and if colleagues feel they are able to talk openly about their struggles they are more likely to disclose existing mental health conditions, be honest about their own mental health and support other colleagues struggling with mental ill health – overall, leading to a supportive, productive work environment.

When a colleague’s mental ill health amounts to a disability, it’s crucial that you can make reasonable adjustments to their role, so they are able to undertake their duties without being at a disadvantage. Examples of this could include:

?            Flexible working hours or changes to their start/finish time

?            Moving their workplace (either their desk or considering homeworking)

?            Increased help and support from a manager

?            Increased training, coaching or mentoring

?            Changes to their role

Now, whilst ‘reasonable adjustments’ are considered when mental ill health is a disability – think how far these initiatives could go in supporting colleagues to stay in mental good health. For example, do you have a colleague with one heck of a commute? A good hour sat in bumper to bumper traffic is not exactly going to promote a stress-free morning. Maybe you could let them start earlier and finish earlier to skip some of the rush hour? Maybe you could include some work from home days as standard in their week? All these little initiatives lead to a happier and therefore healthier workforce – who, as a result, take less time off work.

Another thing that goes a long way in supporting positive mental health is having a positive attitude towards it. Keeping talks under hushed tones and behind closed doors only goes to further stigmatise the issue. Use this as an opportunity to change your organisations culture for the better. For example, you could:

? Arrange some activities to educate staff and managers about mental health

? Take part in Mental Health Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day.

? Having named mental health champions in the workplace who can be approached instead of managers if an individual so wishes

? Create a document for all staff to see that details the reasons why the business is championing mental health in the workplace

Some businesses have even shown really positive feedback to offering ‘mental health days’, where, just like a cold, an employee takes a day or two off to get better. Maybe you have a workforce that’s a little less open – simple, just call it a ‘duvet day’. Give people the time they need to recover, stay in touch and offer the right support when they return to work.

It would be hard for us to champion ‘People First Technology’ without telling you what it is we do at Intercity to support our people. First up is flexible working. We have unified communications, mobiles, video conferencing and access to an internet connection - all solutions we champion to our customers. So, it would be rude not to ‘drink our champagne’ so to speak and empower our people to utilise this to their benefit. We do early starts and early finishes. Late starts and late finishes. Work from home days (or, you know, work from a coffee shop, a train, a beach…). Some businesses go as far as rewarding staff for not taking sick leave – which is not something we support, after all we all need some R’n’R now and then whether it’s for a bug or one of those days where you feel a bit blue. Smashing down the stigma is another one – every year we support Mental Health awareness day, sending round internal communications where our colleagues can access support and guidance – and feel listened to. Then there’s access to our BHSF app as part of our employee benefits package where employees can call a 24/7 GP Consultation or book an online Econsultation. There’s also a helpline where you can discuss bereavement, financial worries, legal issues or concerns over stress. We’re not experts – so it’s important that our colleagues can speak to people who are.

Mental health is a complex issue with no ‘cure all’ to its effect on daily life. But there are three things you can do today to show your support. One, show your people that mental health is something you care about. Create awareness around the office with posters, leaflets and links to charities such as Mind. Two, talk about it. Talk regularly and openly about mental health. Train your managers. Create an open forum where it’s no longer stigmatised. Three, listen. Listen to what your people need to improve their working lives. Listen to their concerns. Listen and then act. After all, the cost of ignoring mental health is more than simply lost working days.