Mental Health in The Workplace

Mental health has a lot of stigma surrounding it, whether you’re discussing it in a social setting or a professional work environment, the response you receive can be unpredictable and therefore, opening up can be difficult. Discussing mental health issues in any environment can be a daunting experience but discussing mental health concerns at work can feel worse; often because your employer isn’t as empathetic as you’d have hoped.

Each year 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind, and 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health issue in any given week in England. With statistics like this, it is essential that mental health is acknowledged and understood in the workplace, and that measures are put in place to support staff with their mental health issues.

At Sherbet Donkey Media, mental health is always a topic open for discussion and understanding. We feel that mental health at any professional level is something that deserves attention, discussion, and support and doesn’t make us any less able to do our jobs. Mental health issues are something nearly all of us will have to deal with at some point in our lives and having support at work can make a huge difference to how we deal with this personally. We’ve written this blog to outline how employers should be dealing with mental health, what you should expect as an employee, and how to create a safe space for your staff.

According to Mind.org there has proven to be a culture of fear and silence surrounding mental health in the workplace that results in costing employers. In fact, 12.7% of all sickness days in the UK can be attributed to mental health concerns.

Mind.org conducted a study of employees and found that 21% of participants agreed that they have on occasion called in sick to avoid working when workplace stress had become too much.

When asked how workplace stress had affected them, 14% of participants agreed that they had resigned due to stress, while a staggering 42% had considered resigning.

When asked to react to the following statement “I would feel able to talk openly with my line manager if I was feeling stressed”, 30% of staff disagreed.

Mind’s study suggests that employers are failing to provide their staff with solutions to their work stress and not providing staff with a safe space to discuss their mental struggles and receive support on ways to combat their mental health issues. This often leads to individuals resigning or carrying the weight on their shoulders, burdening themselves further.

While the study doesn’t directly discuss personal life mental health concerns, it does highlight that staff are struggling with workplace stress and that there needs to be more understanding with how to help employees.

If you’re interested in supporting your staff but unsure where to start, Mind have very helpfully put together a mental health at work website, complete with all relevant information on how to better support staff with mental health concerns and helpful resources based on the industry you work in.

As an employee with mental health issues, it’s always a risk opening up about your struggles, and in a lot of workplaces it is not discussed at all for fear of judgement and unfair treatment. This needs to end. We are only human and all susceptible to illness. Whether it may be a mental illness or a physical one. Human empathy goes a long way.

Opening these conversations with your staff early on will set the precedent for how they can approach you regarding their issues. Ultimately, providing your employees from the beginning of their employment with the opportunity to discuss their issues in a warm way shows them you value them beyond their status as an employee, and that you are welcome to discussing issues that may help them to feel better personally and while at work.

Providing this kind of support may not alleviate their issues, but it might make coming to work on the bad days slightly easier, knowing they’ll be supported.

At Sherbet Donkey Media we’re firm believers in human empathy, compassion, and kindness. Mental health is a minefield to navigate through any day of the week, it should not be made harder while at work. As an employer you should take great pride in providing a fair and pleasant place of work.   

Employers legally have a ‘duty of care’ to their staff. This means that within reason, they must do all they can to support their employee’s health, safety, and wellbeing. This generally includes making a workplace safe, protecting staff from discrimination, and carrying out relevant risk assessments.

Under the Equality Act 2010, a mental health issue can be considered a disability if all the following apply:

-         It has substantial adverse effect on the life an employee

-         It lasts at least 12 months, or is expected to

-         It affects their ability to do their normal day-to-day activities

Living with mental health and other disabilities entitles you to ‘reasonable adjustments’ at work. These adjustments are small alterations to your day to day that make it easier to do your job. i.e., providing someone with a laptop to work from home if they’re too overwhelmed to come into the office on that day.

As an employer there is little you can do to solve the issues your employees face in their personal lives. However, controlling internal stresses within the work environment can greatly improve the mental wellbeing of staff while at work. And who knows, a good day at work can make all the difference on someone’s overall mood.

There’s no roadmap for how to treat your employees dealing with mental health issues, but there are some things that go a long way and ultimately you should treat them how you would like to be treated in the same circumstance.

Treat them like a human being– We all have issues, struggles, and anxieties that do not make us any less equipped to do our jobs. Berating your staff for having human issues will only encourage a negative workspace and show your staff that you view them only as staff and not as an individual with real issues and concerns inside and outside of work.

Check in – Checking in with your staff about how they’re getting on at work, mentally, socially, and physically is important. If you notice someone isn’t themselves – check on them. It can take 5 minutes and will stick with your employee that you noticed them having a hard time and took some time out of your day to make sure they’re okay. They may not want to open up, but the gesture will go a long way.

Additionally, showing your employees you have noticed them having a tough day can open the discussion for them to reciprocate if you yourself are having a hard time.

Accommodate – As someone with mental health issues, it can be difficult to conduct yourself consistently each day. On the days where you are struggling, simply getting up to go to work can be exhausting. If your employee is asking for some accommodation, whether it be a work from home day, a coffee break and a chat, or an extended lunch break to collect themselves, it is in your best interest to allow this.

Accommodating the little requests of your staff not only shows them that you care, but also that you value them. We’re all only human after all and little gestures can make a big difference.

Breaks - Understanding when your employee is burnt out and in need of a break is just one small way you can show your staff you understand them and value them. Sending your staff off for a ten-minute break to collect their thoughts and de-stress can offer them new perspective and a little bit of time to sort their head out before they continue their day.

Remain approachable – Everyone is busy at work but taking 2 minutes out of your day to approach a member of staff who may be struggling opens a dialect where they may feel comfortable to approach you in future. For a staff member struggling, it can be a gamble confiding in their employer. However, being approached and spoken to nicely and understandingly may lead them to approach you in future and minimise an issue before it has time to develop into a larger worry or concern.

On the flip side, dismissing your employee’s concerns or issues may make them reluctant to discuss with you again and create a negative attitude towards open conversation in the workplace and ultimately, make them feel worse.

Encouragement – No one wants to work all day without any feedback or acknowledgement to how well they’re doing. Give your staff a morale boost, tell them they’re doing a good job. We all want to hear words of encouragement, especially about the things we take the most pride in.

Social activities – Having a happy and friendly workplace makes a huge difference to your headspace. If you like everyone you work with and regularly chat to them about things more than just work, the work environment will naturally be a happier and more supportive place.

Social activities within work and outside of work can boost morale and make your working environment a really great place. At Sherbet Donkey, this is something we take massive amounts of pride in.

We’d like to reiterate that there really is no set way to help your staff dealing with personal issues, but compassion and understanding are the first steps to creating a happier workplace and happier staff. You can’t remove their personal problems, but you can make work a safe and pleasant place free of additional pressures and mental strains.

If you’re an employee struggling mentally and you’re not quite sure how to address it, we understand your concerns. You never know how an employer may react to hearing you struggle with your mental health.

If you’re concerned about going directly to your management, perhaps put the feelers out amongst the staff to gain incite into how they have navigated discussing their own issues. Reach out to your work colleagues, ask for advice, and if you do feel comfortable, tell your employer. We can’t guarantee they’ll react how you want, but they might surprise you and it can lift a big weight.

Mental health concerns happen to all of us at some point in our lives. It doesn’t make us any less competent at our lives or our jobs, it just makes us human. If you are struggling, we’ve listed some resources below for some advice and guidance.

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health-resources#types-of-providers

Workplace mental health assessment - https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools/workplace-mental-health-survey/?ref

https://socialworklicensemap.com/social-work-resources/mental-health-resources-list/

Our team have given some of their best advice for how to deal with a bad day at work below

Talk to someone – We all agreed that sometimes bottling stuff up is necessary to get through the day. But if you are having a rough day, talking to someone can really help. It doesn’t have to be deep, just chat to a colleague about their evening plans or what they had for dinner. Human interaction isn’t going to fix everything, but it will make you feel slightly better.

Let someone know – If the day is looking like it’s going to be a hard one, tell someone in management. Just a short “Hey I’m not having a good day today, so I might be a bit quieter, can you guys not bother me too much?”. This will help the team to understand your boundaries for that day and that you just need some time to yourself to feel better.

Go for lunch – At Sherbz we’re all a fan of food, and there’s nothing a trip out for lunch can’t fix. When you’re having a hard day mentally, rewarding yourself with little treats can boost your mood and help you feel better. Plus, you’re only going to feel worse on an empty stomach.

Go for a walk – Now that the warmer weather is coming, a walk at lunch time can help you reset for the afternoon, get some vitamin D and fresh air. The weather plays a huge part in our moods and taking some time for a short walk can help you re-evaluate and reset for the rest of the day.

Music – Simply putting your headphones on and having an hour by yourself to focus can be really helpful. If you struggle with anxiety, being sociable at work can trigger this. When it all gets a bit much, listening to calming frequencies or your preferred music can help to ground you and pull you out of the harder moments.

Cuddle Storm – We have an office dog, Storm, who is always available for top tier mental health counselling. A little cuddle with her perks us up. Petting animals has a lot of mental health benefits and can reduce anxiety. If your workplace doesn’t have an office dog, consider this your sign.

Hot drink/snack – Taking a few minutes out to have a snack or make a tea is essential on the bad days. Alternatively, bring your work mate a drink/snack when you see them having a hard day. It’s nice to be nice.

Retail therapy – Online shopping and buying yourself something nice can perk anyone up. Just make sure it’s after payday.

Small milestones – If you’re struggling with the day to day, try to make appointments for things like the dentist, doctors, car maintenance. Reaching each small milestone will help you to feel like you’ve achieved something and ultimately can help you to feel more on top of things.

Step away and revaluate – Things can look a lot more difficult when you’re in the midst of them. Take a step back, make a list of all the things bothering you and try to categorise them into what you can solve right now, and what may need to be forgotten for the time being. Ordering your thoughts and prioritising things you can fix can help you to feel more in control.

Ask for help – If you need some help or support, ask for it. We’re all human and we all struggle. Treat people how you’d wish to be treated in the same circumstance and be kind.

If your employer isn’t understanding of your mental health issues, advocate for yourself. We spend a large amount of our lives at work and should never be made to feel worse, or dread coming to work because of mental concerns.

Ultimately, you need to look after yourself above all else and this should be respected and encouraged by your workplace. From all the Sherbet team, we hope you receive the guidance and support you deserve at work. And if not… we’re always recruiting here.