Time to Talk Day 2023: Unlock a Healthier Future for Your Employees

Tomorrow marks Time to Talk Day (Thursday 2 February 2023), a wonderful opportunity to come together and have open conversations about mental health in order to help others and make a positive difference in our lives.

We are well aware that providing better mental health support for employees in the workplace can result in annual savings of up to ￡8 billion for UK businesses.

That is why we at Avensure are dedicated to empowering our clients to make the most effective decisions concerning their people and thus, positively impact their own productivity.

3 Reasons Why Mental Health at Work Is Important?

1. Better Productivity: Running a successful business means having a strong and healthy workforce. When staff are supported in their well-being, they perform better, take fewer sick days, and are more likely to stick with you in their careers. It's a win-win!

2. Decision-making: It's important to recognise that mental health issues can have a big impact on decision-making. This can show up in a few different ways - like taking shortcuts in work, skipping out on commitments, or not following company rules which can be really damaging to both the employee and the business.

3. Happier Employees: Investing in mental health can increase productivity and make employees happier and more fulfilled. Plus, they'll be more likely to stick around your company and help it grow, adding positive vibes to the workplace.?

What Is the Cost of Ignoring Mental Health in The Workplace?

• Mental ill health costs UK employers approximately ￡56 billion each year.?
• The annual cost of presenteeism: approx. ￡28 billion
• The annual cost of staff turnover: approx. ￡22 billion
• The annual cost of absenteeism: approx. ￡6 billion
• The total annual cost of mental ill health to employers has increased by 25% since 2019.?
• For every ￡1 spent by employers on mental health interventions, employers could get back ￡5.30 in reduced absence, presenteeism, and staff turnover.?

7 Practical Recommendations for Workplaces to Support Employee Mental Health.

1. Start a conversation and move it from ‘how was your weekend’, to ‘how are you doing?’
2. Have mental health and wellbeing policy: Developing a solid mental health and wellbeing policy can be the first step in improving your workplace’s attitudes towards employee wellbeing.??
3. Prioritise physical and mental health equally in the workplace.
4. Train your managers to be able to support the mental health and well-being of their teams. Contact us for our training courses for managers.
5. Invest in an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). These services are ideal for supporting staff mental health in the workplace by providing confidential advice and support in a wide range of areas. Speak to us for information on Avensure’s EAP programme.
6. Review your workplace culture to ensure it promotes a healthy work-life balance for employees.
7. Create a workplace where staff feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work.?

Need help investing in employee mental health?

At times, mental health issues can be difficult to navigate. We understand the importance of creating an enabling environment for employees where their mental health and well-being are taken seriously.

That's why we are here to help you create an actionable plan for your organisation, whether it be a mental health policy or manager training. Let's chat about how we can support your efforts in proactively promoting healthy mental health.