Key design principles for a long-term employee mental health strategy
Mental Health Week was held in May. It’s now critical that employees don’t let the baton drop – particularly In light of the Health and Safety Executive figures that show that stress, anxiety and depression account for 51% of all new and long-standing cases of work-related ill health.
What works will differ from one organisation to another, but here are five design principles that underpin an effective long term strategy.
Understanding poor mental health
Draw on a range of evidence to develop a well-rounded picture. Employee data such as on sickness absence, presenteeism, staff turnover and employee performance provide a good indication of whether there is a problem, but not why.
To understand why, look for patterns across the data to identify whether a particular workplace demographic is affected, such as those with care responsibilities, or those working at a certain salary level.
Use staff surveys to gauge morale. Speak with internal talent teams and external recruitment agencies to understand whether the organisation is perceived to value employee mental health.
Use this information to create a wellness strategy linked to your wider employee strategy and to prioritise practical support. Simply having a wellness strategy shows staff you value their wellbeing.
Prevention first
Budgets and resources can be wasted rolling out a programme of support across an organisation that doesn’t value good mental health within its culture and policies. Review these to identify any ways in which the organisation unintentionally undermines employee mental health.
This is especially true for hybrid workforces. Mental health in now the top concern for 49% of hybrid workers. While remote working can have a positive impact on mental health, it also creates a risk that employees will feel isolated, invisible or under pressure to be constantly available.
Critically, equip leaders and managers to be approachable and confident about mental health. Often early intervention and support can prevent a concern from escalating into a more serious problem. Encourage leaders to talk about their own mental health to help normalise conversations with staff.
Cover the spectrum
Make sure any support offered nurtures good mental health as well as responds to poor mental health.
Provide resources to help individuals take responsibility for their own mental wellness. Signpost employees to resources to help them spot and early warning signs of stress, anxiety or depression and strategies to counter these.
Ensure your support also provides help for employees experiencing mental distress. Here managers can play a vital role to spot early warning signs, facilitate a conversation, make reasonable workplace adjustments and develop an action plan to support the employee at work or to return to work.
If you don’t already offer an employee assistance programme (EAP), consider doing so. Line managers are not mental health professionals and cannot provide mental health advice.
Equally, some employees may feel uncomfortable talking to their line manager about personal problems. EAPs offer a confidential helpline to triage an employee’s problems and provide appropriate support specific to that problem.
Communicate your support
Employees need to be regularly reminded of the support on offer. Create a communication schedule of team briefings, emails, town halls as well as wellness events.
If you have an employee recognition scheme, remind employees of the importance of giving and receiving appreciation. Doing so creates a strong sense of connection and belonging among employees and boosts positivity.
Some employers regard their investment in employee mental wellbeing as a bottom-line cost. Remind leaders of the significant positive impact it can have on business performance. According to Deloitte, employers get a £5.30 return for every £1 they invest in employee wellness in terms of reduced absenteeism, presenteeism, and turnover.
Refer back to the programme objectives and measure progress against specific metrics as well as usage. Continually evaluate how well your programme delivers.
As well as monitoring hard data, survey employees regularly about their perceptions of your wellness programme. Ask staff whether they are aware of the support available, if they been accessing it and if they find it effective.
Look at how many employees engage with the programme and which aspects are used the most, or least.
Regularly review the data and make adjustments to the programme as necessary to ensure ongoing effectiveness and meet the changing needs of your employees.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Edenred
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