Ways to identify workplace challenges that are affecting employees’ mental health
The report1 shows a staggering 14 per cent increase in fit notes written for anxiety and stress related conditions during the period of research. And 21.5 per cent of mental and behavioural episodes are for longer than 12 weeks. It’s clear—mental health issues are affecting productivity and absence keenly.
Mental health-related absenteeism is costing UK businesses 15.4 million days a year2—over £2.4 billion. You need to know how to identify any challenges in your workplace that could be bringing your people down. Here are a few pointers.
Stigma
Mental health is still a taboo subject in many workplaces. It can be difficult to admit to a co-worker or a manager that you’re finding it difficult to cope. The fear of being unfairly treated, or perceived as weak, can drive those suffering with anxiety or depression further into their problems.
Employers can carry out assessments of stress risk that can help ascertain levels of stress put on staff, and how to tackle them. Training managers to spot issues and carefully reach out to those experiencing problems—letting them know that it’s perfectly fine to seek help—can reduce stigma.
Use authority. A key stakeholder sharing a story of mental health issues can let the rest of the staff know that it happens to us all.
Priorities
Put simply, many businesses fail to see mental health as a priority. While most organisations make some effort to improve employee health and wellbeing, barely a third actually have a formal plan. Fifty-Five per cent of businesses investing in employee wellbeing report not actually evaluating the impact of their spend, with a further 28 per cent reporting that they don’t know the impact at all3.
Altering your attitudes and priorities, and using the tools you have to hand more effectively, will reduce the mental health issues your people face. It’s not just about putting a wellbeing programme in place—it’s about acting flexibly, listening to feedback, changing, tuning, and balancing.
Stress
Stress. We’ve all felt it—even the word can bring some of us out in a cold sweat. Just over three-fifths of organisations are taking steps to identify and combat stress. Workload is the most common cause, with relationships, organisational change and work-life balance snapping at the heels of many employees.
Staff surveys, risk assessments/stress audits and questionnaires on work-life balance are good ways to get some data on the levels of stress in your office. Providing stress awareness and management training, or courses on building personal resilience, will aid greatly in reducing stress and tension.
Reactive policies
Research shows that action is often taken after a significant mental health issue is presented. This is exactly the wrong way to go about this—your wellbeing policy should be proactive, and should aim to tackle problems before they can take root
Encouraging employees to speak up by providing surveys, creating a volunteer mental health champion or even sharing your own stories as a senior in the company can contribute to better workplace wellbeing—and potentially encourage people to talk about issues before they need one of those fit notes we spoke about earlier.
Build as inclusive a space as possible. Mental health issues affect marginalised groups more deeply—take the time to learn and understand these groups. Tailor and reinforce support for minority groups. It’ll do wonders for your reputation.
Tackling mental health issues
Make sure you’re seen to be supportive. Provide literature on wellbeing best practice, invest in programmes and policies, train your managers to spot problems and create a mental health policy that stops anyone from falling through the cracks.
It might sound like a lot of work—and it can be—but it’s worth it. Once you see the improvements and successes—and communicate those to the people who need that reassurance—you’ll reduce your mental health absences and see a much happier workforce.
And, well, fewer fit notes written means less strain on GPs, after all…
This article is provided by Health Assured.
References
- Fit notes issued by GP practices: December 2014-March 2017
- Working days lost in Great Britain, Health and Safety Executive, 2017/18
- Health and wellbeing at work, CIPD, 2 May 2018
In partnership with Health Assured
Health Assured is the UK and Ireland's most trusted health and wellbeing network.
