Video: Employee Wellness Conference: Why effective communication is vital for managing mental health

Employers must have open and honest communication at all times with their staff – especially when it comes to mental health, according to Joy Reymond, head of vocational rehabilitation services at Unum.

Watch ‘Effective Communication – a vital component to managing mental health in the workplace’, in full.

Speaking at the REBA Employee Wellness Conference 2016, Reymond said that employers need to get closer to their staff. “Line managers need to know their staff and need to know who to turn to if there is a problem with one of their team members,” she said.

The communication point was vital in dealing with sickness absence due to mental health issues too, she said. “If you proactively intervene in the early stages of mental health issues we have research that shows you can reduce the duration of sickness absence by up to 18%,” she said.

She advised delegates to work through a list that would help them better deal with mental health issues. She also said that managers needed to avoid shying away from difficult conversations with their staff so that employees were more confident about opening up to their managers and so that issues can be tackled earlier.

This video was filmed at the REBA Employee Wellness Conference 2016.