Trailblazing firms lead the way on mental health - Viewpoint Viewpoint careers advice blog

Trailblazing firms lead the way on mental health - Viewpoint Workplace wellbeing is increasingly at the top of employers’ agendas, and rightly so. After all, we all have mental health just as we all have physical health, and it fluctuates from good to poor, where we can suffer from issues including stress, depression and anxiety. It’s important for all employers to create an environment where staff feel able to talk openly about stress and mental health at work and to encourage a clear work-life balance as much as possible. At Mind, the mental health charity, we’ve seen employers make great strides when it comes to tackling stress and supporting the mental wellbeing of their staff, including those with a diagnosed mental health problem. In recognition of some of the good work happening, last year Mind launched its Workplace Wellbeing Index â€" a benchmark of best policy and practice when it comes to employers putting in place initiatives to support and promote good mental health at work. In its first year, we’ve seen 30 organisations â€" of various sizes and across a range of sectors â€" take part in the Index. We surveyed 15,000 employees from employers such as Deloitte, the Environment Agency, Jaguar Land Rover and PepsiCo, and found that overall, staff mental health was good. Just over one in ten (12 per cent) said their mental health was poor. But for those staff who said their mental health wasn’t good, four in five felt their workplace was a contributory factor. In fact, 80 per cent of employees said that their poor mental health was due to problems at work (26 per cent) or a combination of problems at work and outside work (54 per cent). Our research also shows that men are twice as likely to have mental health problems due to their job, compared to problems outside of work. Many men find themselves unable to speak to their bosses about the impact that work is having on their wellbeing and what’s even more concerning is that they are then not asking to take time off sick when they need it. The data also shows how important it is that, when someone opens up about poor mental health, they feel supported and that any wellbeing initiatives are available, promoted and easy to access. Of those staff who had disclosed poor mental health at work (2,200 employees), just over half (53 per cent) said they felt supported, and 72 per cent said they’d been made aware of the support tools such as Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), counselling, staff support networks or informal buddying systems. These figures highlight the good work and creative initiatives that employers are offering to promote and support positive mental health, from hosting wellness webinars and appointing mental health champions, to providing free meditation sessions for staff. The results also show a discrepancy between how well managers feel they support staff versus how well supported employees feel. Only half of respondents (54 per cent) felt that their line manager supports their mental health, yet three in four line managers (73 per cent) said they’d feel confident in supporting a member of staff experiencing a mental health issue. Encouragingly, the majority of managers do feel confident in supporting an employee that comes to them with mental health problems, but they can only offer extra support if they’re aware there is an issue. There’s still a problem with employees feeling able to talk about their mental health, as only one in four (26 per cent) of all respondents said they would be likely to seek support from their manager if they were experiencing a mental health problem. Our research shows that mental health problems are very common in the workplace. Fortunately, forward-thinking employers are making mental health a priority and we’re delighted to recognise and celebrate those who have taken part in our Workplace Wellbeing Index. In our first year, we’ve seen good practice right across the board, from each and every one of the 30 pioneering employers who took part. The Index also provides all employers that have participated with recommendations on specific areas for improvement. Employers keen to find out more about next year’s Index can register by emailing work@mind.org.uk, visiting www.mind.org.uk/workplace, or through Mind’s LinkedIn page. If you found this blog useful, herere some other related blogs that you might also enjoy: Why you should have regular 1-2-1s with your direct reports These four questions will reveal if youre an emotionally intelligent leader If you fake it, you wont make it How to switch off (and encourage your teams to do the same) How to overcome the disconnect between management and employees Read the Hays Journal online or request a printed copy from haysjournal@hays.com