It’s time to talk: Mental health and the workplace

Every February, Time to Talk Day marks the UK’s biggest mental health conversation. But when we consider that poor mental health was the number one reason for time off work for UK employees in 2021, one day a year isn’t nearly enough.

With 7 out of 10 adults in the UK feeling ‘overwhelmed’ or ‘unable to cope’ at some point in the last year, according to the UK Mental Health Foundation, and mental health issues in the workplace behind a loss of £94 billion and 70 million workdays per year, mental health is clearly something that needs to be front of mind for individuals and businesses year-round.

Taking care of employee mental health is a significant challenge. It is clear that the focus should be on preventative measures with an emphasis on communication. For organisations to be able to protect and prioritise mental health and wellbeing for their teams, employees must feel like it’s safe to open up, ask for help and take time out of their busy working lives to access the support they need.

How to make your workplace a safe space to talk

Many employees attempt to hide mental health issues that come up in their lives, especially while they’re on the clock. Transforming your working environment into a place where your employees feel at ease sharing their thoughts and needs, especially in regard to their mental and emotional wellbeing, will take time and effort. So how can organisations build a safe space?

Below are five fundamental values to help you ensure your employees get the support they need when they need it:

Open and honest dialogue. Offer employees the chance to speak openly about their concerns. Make employees feel like they have a say and know they’re valued members of a larger team by encouraging them to communicate in the ways that are most comfortable to them, whether that means on a video call or via your company’s chat programme. Prioritise open communication between all departments and levels—if dialogue isn’t fluid (and honest) about the work itself, it won’t be about mental health, either.
A foundation of trust. Build relationships based on trust. When workers trust leadership and the company, they’re much more likely to ask for help when they need it. Some common ways you may be undermining trust include micromanaging, lack of transparency, poor communication and not apologising or recognising when things didn’t go as planned. It’s day-to-day operations and behaviours that make your team members feel like they can (or can’t) count on management and the company to be fair and even-handed.
Wellbeing culture. Analysis from Deloitte shows that every £1 spent on mental health has an ROI of £5. So it simply makes good business sense to make wellbeing a regular part of work and your workplace culture. Give your team time during working hours to do wellbeing activities—even a few minutes can positively impact someone’s mental state. Pair access to evidence-based tools your team can use independently with expert-led group activities. Promote regular check-ins and sharing and caring as ‘how we do things here’.
Gratitude and appreciation. Gratitude isn’t just good manners. Research shows it makes people feel better. Encourage people across all levels of your organisation to express their appreciation to each other with kind words for the work they see others doing, even when the results aren’t what was expected. One way to incorporate more gratitude into your company culture is by reserving a few minutes at the end of meetings for people to show their appreciation. Another is encouraging employees to use a company-wide chat channel to say ‘thanks’. Giving thanks is associated with greater happiness. It helps people feel more positive emotions, deal with adversity and build stronger relationships.
Confidentiality and privacy. Another important factor in making your workplace a safe space to talk is protecting your team’s private information. When something is told to a manager or colleague in confidence, it should be kept confidential except in cases where that information must be shared to protect someone in danger. If workers know what is shared here, stays here, they are more likely to share their struggles and reach out for help when they need it.

Overall, the aim is to build a stronger relationship with employees and increase their confidence and trust. When employees feel safe speaking openly about their mental health, employers can encourage them to seek support when they need it. When employees thrive, companies do too.

For more on making your workplace a safe space for mental health talk, access our webinar, Helping employees thrive.

The author is Dr Claire Vowell, lead psychologist at Koa Health.

This article was provided by Koa Health.