NEW BLOG - Mental Health Awareness Week
Supporting mental health in the workplace
Mental Health Awareness Week starts today the 15th of May, this year’s theme is anxiety. There are many steps employers can take to support staff experiencing mental ill health.
If an employee has poor mental health, it's important their employer takes it seriously and with the same care as a physical illness. For example, the employer should talk to the employee to find out what support they might need at work.
Mental health problems can happen suddenly, because of a specific event in someone's life, or it can build up gradually over time.
There are many types of mental health conditions, for example:
depression
anxiety
Spotting possible signs of a mental health problem
Not everyone will show obvious signs of poor mental health and it's important not to make assumptions. But some possible signs at work include:
appearing tired, anxious or withdrawn
increase in sickness absence or being late to work
changes in the standard of their work or focus on tasks
being less interested in tasks they previously enjoyed
changes in usual behaviour, mood or how the person behaves with the people they work with
It can be harder to spot these signs if employees are working from home. It's important for employers to regularly ask their employees how they're doing. They should help them to be open and honest about how they're feeling.
The sooner an employer becomes aware of a mental health problem, the sooner they can provide help and support.
Supporting your employees' mental health at work
If employees feel they can talk openly about mental health, problems are less likely to build up. This could lead to:
less time off for poor mental health
improved morale at work
Creating a supportive environment
As an employer, you must treat mental and physical health as equally important.
You should create an environment where your employees feel able to talk openly about mental health.
For example, you should:
make sure employees have regular meetings with their managers, to talk about any problems they're having
encourage positive mental health, for example arranging mental health awareness training and workshops, or appointing mental health 'champions' who staff can talk to
Supporting your team
You should be approachable, available and encourage team members to talk to you if they're having problems.
Your management style should suit the needs of each person. For example, if someone is working from home you could ask them if they prefer to talk over the phone, through video meetings or by email.
You should keep in regular contact with your team to check how they're coping.
You should check:
how they're feeling
how their work is going and if they need support
if they have the right set up when working from home
Support your employees
You should be approachable, available and encourage team members to talk to you if they're having problems.
Your management style should suit the needs of each person. For example, if someone is working from home you could ask them if they prefer to talk over the phone, through video meetings or by email.
Article sourced - acas.org.uk
Learn more: https://www.acas.org.uk/supporting-mental-health-workplace/supporting-your-employees-mental-health-at-work