10 ways a good manager can bolster employee mental health
A manager’s behaviour can shape whether being at work has a positive or negative impact on employees – with 69% of employees saying their manager has as much impact on their mental health as their partner.
Jon Clifton, Gallup CEO, says: “The real fix is this simple: better leaders in the workplace.
“Managers need to be better listeners, coaches and collaborators. Great managers help colleagues learn and grow, recognise their colleagues for doing great work and make them truly feel cared about.
“In environments like this, workers thrive. But this requires commitment, training and support — and perhaps some difficult decisions.”
Furthermore, according to The Workforce Institute, “companies need to focus on building the emotional intelligence of their leaders at all levels of the organisations”.
Mental health charity Mind says effective managers help employees manage workloads, create learning opportunities and promote a culture of open dialogue to help improve mental wellbeing and employee engagement levels.
It’s essential to train managers to be better able to spot the signs of poor mental health and know how to initiate conversations.
To support this, organisations should have clear guidance on managing mental health issues.
Tackling the causes of poor mental health
Mind’s top 10 tips for tackling the causes of mental ill health in the workplace:
- 1. Signpost support and peer support groups
- 2. Promote how your company supports employees experiencing poor mental health
- 3. Set realistic workloads and deadlines
- 4. Encourage employees to work sensible hours, avoiding long days with no breaks
- 5. Conduct regular audits on employee wellbeing
- 6. Get business leaders on board
- 7. Include mental health in induction and training
- 8. Recruit mental health champions
- 9. Enhance development opportunities, including coaching, training, mentoring and job shadowing
- 10. Promote a culture of teamwork, collaboration and information sharing
Line managers must have appropriate training, resources and support, as there needs to be a top-down culture that promotes mental wellbeing across the business.
Talk about it
“There is a lot of evidence to that having effective policies and support will help to reduce poor mental health in the workplace, but it will never eliminate it entirely,” says Harriet Finlayson, a nurse on Bupa’s Specialist Mental Health Team.
“If someone needs time off due to their mental health, this should be treated with the same openness and concern as you would when supporting someone with a physical health problem.
“Having regular and meaningful conversations focusing on the employee wellbeing is an absolute must to facilitate supportive planning for a successful return to work.”
Finlayson added: “Ultimately, it’s all about having positive conversations, listening to employee concerns and providing tailored support.”
Tackling the stigma
Mental Health Awareness Week, from 13 to 19 May, is an opportunity to tackle the stigma and help people understand and prioritise their mental health, as well as support others.
Bupa’s mental health awareness toolkit provides resources to share across your business and equip people managers to support confident conversations about mental health.
In partnership with Bupa
Bupa's purpose is helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world.
