How line managers should improve employee mental health

Over half of the 1,000 respondents to the Health and Wellbeing at Work 2018 survey reported they had seen an increase in the number of reported common mental health conditions, compared to just two-fifths in 2016. While this may be because more people are feeling that they can disclose a mental health issue, the links between increased stress at work and mental health issues cannot be ignored. Indeed, stress-related absence has increased over the last year in almost two-fifths (37%) of organisations.

Workloads

So why are people so stressed? Workload remains by far the most common cause of stress-related absence at work, cited by almost two-thirds of the survey respondents. Indeed, workload is such a problem that more than two-thirds of organisations (69%) have reported ‘leaveism’, or people using annual leave to catch-up on work, over the last 12 months. Despite these unsettling figures, only 27% of employers who have experienced leaveism say their organisation has taken action to tackle it.

Line managers

What needs to be done? Good people management is the starting point for effective prevention of stress, and those organisations who are on the front foot in terms of taking action on unhealthy working practices are showing the pivotal role that line managers play in employee health and well-being.

Line managers are often responsible for monitoring the absence levels of their employees, and, importantly, for an employee’s workload. It’s therefore vital that organisations equip their line managers with the capabilities to identify and tackle signs of stressed and overworked employees, before what could be an easily remedied issue turns into something much more serious.

Job responsibilities

Managers lacking the right skills can be a real issue for health and well-being at work – indeed, the survey found that management style was the second most common cause of stress-related absence at work. It can be daunting for line managers, who run the risk of affecting their own health if they lack the right tools to address these issues.

It’s vital, therefore, that organisations incorporate people management and responsibility for employee health and wellbeing as an integral part of line management roles.

Investing in line managers can make a significant difference to an organisation’s overall wellbeing. Our research finds that organisations with managers who are able to manage mental health are less likely to have seen an increase in reported common mental health conditions, which shows how crucial that capability is.

Senior leaders

Finally, it’s also vital that great people managers are supported by senior leaders who are visibly committed to encouraging good mental well-being, acting as role models and champions throughout their organisation. Only by challenging any potential stigma and increasing awareness around mental health at work can we start to break the silence and build more open and inclusive workplaces.

This article is written by Paddy Smith, public affairs manager at the CIPD