Written by: Andrew Berrie, Head of Workplace Wellbeing at Mind:
Creating mentally healthy workplaces should be high on every employer’s agenda, as it benefits the entire workforce, not just disabled staff and employees with mental health problems. It also saves employers money, with recent data from Deloitte UK finding a return of £5.30 for every £1 invested in workplace wellbeing interventions.
Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Index has found that across all sectors, 24% of people find that their workload is unmanageable, while 17% of staff are working 50 or more hours a week. People Management’s study shows that HR professionals are well above the national average and that is clearly concerning. It’s not surprising that people’s mental health is being impacted by working in such conditions.
Workplace stress has a real impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing. Pressure can be helpful in the short term – it can help us focus and produce our best work. But over a long period it can lead to exhaustion and burnout.
There are many ways organisations can support their employees to help protect them from this – and one of the most important things is a strong relationship between line manager and employee. Person centred conversations are key, as everyone has different stress thresholds and triggers that can harm their mental health. Discussions on deadlines, quality standards and reflective priorities of different pieces of work can make a real difference.
Line management conversations can also address what support an employee might need. Mind’s free Wellness Action Plans, available from our website, allow individuals to highlight what they need to stay well.
Finally, team or organisation leaders should look at creating or revising their stress risk assessments. Employers with 5 or more employees have a statutory duty to conduct and hold a written stress risk assessment. A large number of employers don’t realise this and HSE’s Working Minds campaign is currently seeking to raise understanding of this requirement amongst SMEs. On their website you’ll find a range of tools and sector specific articles on how to implement best practice in your organisation.
