Article: Practical ways to improve employee Mental Health
Major strides have been taken in employee mental health over the past two decades, however, there is still a way to go, with poor mental health responsible for over 600,000 work-related absences in 2018/19 (The UK Labour Force Survey). What’s more alarming is that a) this number is likely to have increased post COVID due to the increasing living pressures & b) for the vast majority of those going off sick due to stress, anxiety or depression, they cite ambiguous reasons, with research conducted by Mind claiming that >90% of people who have called in sick due to stress have given an alternative reason to their employer.
The need for improved mental health policies within the workplace is a well documented one. The HSE (Health & Safety Executive), the governmental agency responsible for employee health & welfare in the workplace, have created a set of management standards that if not present, they claim “are associated with poor health, lower productivity and increased accident and sickness absence rates”:
Demands – this includes issues such as workload, work patterns and the work environment
Control – how much say the person has in the way they do their work
Support – this includes the encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the organisation, line management and colleagues
Relationships – this includes promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with unacceptable behaviour
Role – whether people understand their role within the organisation and whether the organisation ensures that they do not have conflicting roles
Change – how organisational change (large or small) is managed and communicated in the organisation
Building on these principles, more recently an independent review was carried out by Lord Dennis Stevenson & Paul Farmer wanting to further investigate what can be done to alleviate the mental health costs for organisations. The review suggested the following core frameworks, irrespective of organisation size, that can be implemented to create a robust wellbeing strategy:
Implement a mental health at work plan;
Develop mental health awareness among employees;
Encourage open conversations about mental health and available support;
Provide good working conditions and ensure employees have a healthy work–life balance;
Promote effective people management through line managers and supervisors;
Monitor employee mental health and wellbeing.
Increase transparency and accountability through internal and external reporting;
Demonstrate accountability;
Improve the disclosure process;
Ensure provision of tailored in-house mental health support and signposting to clinical help.
Along with the previous points, here are 4 more practical ways to ensure an environment conducive for growth, development & collaboration:
Employee surveys - the first step is to determine a baseline of employee sentiment, a variety of surveys are available that allow employer’s to accurately assess how they’re perceived by their teams, this survey here done by HSE is a great start & incorporates the aforementioned management best practices.
Open & honest communication channels - Mind UK research showed that 30% of staff did not agree with the statement ‘I would feel able to talk openly with my line manager if I was feeling stressed’. Often a culture of secrecy, gossip & resentment leads to employees feeling reluctant to open up to their seniors. As early as induction a point should be made to highlight the company mental health policy & reiterate just how seriously the organisation takes it. Also, initiatives such as quarterly town halls are a great way to gauge employee sentiment, de-escalate any brewing issues & empower staff to contribute to strategic decisions.
Harnessing positive relationships & community - A critical aspect of positive mental health is developing meaningful relationships. With the rise of hybrid working & consequent increasing levels of isolation, it is paramount for businesses’ to facilitate spaces for those relationships to form & blossom. Inclusive socials, in person meetings & co-working spaces are all good opportunities to provide team bonding, whilst still continuing to be a flexible workplace. Employee benefit company Perkbox conducted a survey of 50 different benefits commonly offered by employer’s, asking employees to rank them: of the 50 the top 5 all involved some level of social activity (extracurricular clubs, pool table, ping pong table, office sports teams & video games). Also, developing a culture of regular positive feedback across teams’ not only leverages goodwill for when constructive feedback is required, but also reinforces good practices within the organisation.
Investing into employee learning & development - Actively listening to employees goals, aspirations & targets, & more importantly facilitating those desires creates a culture of constantly challenging employees, acknowledging their growth & then rewarding them for their efforts. Quarterly PDPs (Personal Development Plans) are the perfect setting for these objectives to be formalised. It must be noted, however, employees who choose not to engage with continuous growth should not be made to feel inferior. Often the high pressures of a corporate career can be overwhelming enough, & so that’s why an emphasis on radical transparency is so invaluable.
While progress has clearly been made in addressing employee mental health, the stats show that there’s still a long way to go. The above frameworks are intended as guidance for those looking to improve their employee experience. Organisations have free reign as to what they believe is best suited for their own unique culture & needs. One thing though is for certain: the evidence is clear, employees who actively invest into their employees mental health see increased employee retention, engagement & decreased absenteeism.
