World Mental Health Day is celebrated every year on 10 October. This year’s theme is workplace wellbeing. Mental health has and continues to be a critical conversation and many employers are becoming increasingly aware of how important it is to promote positive mental health initiatives and wellbeing as part of its organisational strategy. 

This blog will highlight the importance of addressing mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, for the benefit of all employee’s, the organisation and why its so important not to just recognise positive mental health on one day alone. 

What does the law state about Mental Health at work?  

Mental health needs to have the same focus as a physical illness and as ACAS ¹ states employers have a ‘duty of care’ to their employees, meaning that employers must do all they reasonably can to support their employee’s health, safety and wellbeing at work, this can include: 

• Making sure the working environment is safe 

• Protecting staff from discrimination 

• Carrying out risk assessments 

Work can have a huge impact on our mental health. It can be good for our mental health, giving us a sense of purpose, boosting our self-worth, and providing opportunities to connect with others. But it can also be a source of stress and anxiety that can contribute to developing or worsening mental health problems. It is estimated that:  

• 15% of UK workers are estimated to have an existing mental health condition ² 

• In 2022/23, 875,000 of workers were suffering from work-related stress, depression and anxiety ³ 

• The 5^th most common reason for sickness absence in 2022 was mental health ⁴ 

As an employer, how do I look after my team’s mental health whilst at work? 

In the workplace, spotting the early warning signs of someone’s mental health is really important, things to watch out for the signals. For example, employees may:: 

• Employees may experience greater fatigue 

• Employees may make more mistakes than normal 

• They may show a lack of motivation 

• They may experience issues with punctuality or may stay later than normal 

• They may become increasingly irritable  

• show oObvious withdrawal from colleagues or friends  

Recognising these early warning signs in ourselves can be challenging, so the support of colleagues or management who can identify these changes in our behaviour and our mental well-being is invaluable. Early intervention for support can be crucial to ensuring the right help is achieved. 

Business Strategies to help create mentally healthy workplaces  

Organisations can implement a range of strategies to promote mental health in the workplace, they can do this by creating a more inclusive and productive environment for all. Below are some key approaches you may wish to consider: 

Create an open culture 

Encourage employees to reach out and talk to one another about how they are feeling and in turn normalise conversations around mental health, you could look to train members of the team to become Mental Health First Aiders at work to help encourage employees to reach out, you could also arrange for mental health training or webinars to help ease the stigma that is attached to mental health. 

This will allow you to equip your managers with strategies to have supportive and non-judgemental conversations and help them to support and provide solutions. 

Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) 

You may wish to consider providing access to an EAP for your employees which will provide them with professional services including counselling, advice lines and referrals for further ongoing treatment and support.  

Some organisations have introduced polices around mental health by allowing employees to take time off specifically for mental health to help reduce burnout. 

Work life balance 

Work life balance is one of the easiest ways to support a mentally healthy workplace, offer remote working, flexible hours that helps employees to manage stress and their personal commitments. 

It is also important that as leaders of the organisation that you are leading by example and that you are promoting your own work life balance and not expecting staff to work late all the time, encourage your teams to take regular breaks throughout the working day and ensure you follow suit. 

Implement wellness programmes 

You could offer mindfulness and stress-relief activities such as yoga or meditation to help promotes relaxation and mental clarity, physical health programmes are also something that could be considered, offer gym memberships or group activities for all to be involved in supporting employees well-being. 

Implementing good working practices fosters a happier and more productive workforce. Research on the return on investment for mental health interventions reveals that for every £1 invested in supporting employee mental health, employers see an average return of nearly £4.70 in improved productivity⁵. 

Sally’s story – how support can help 

As an employee of a small telecoms business Sally had always been a high performer within their role, but following the sudden loss of a close family member, their mental health began to suffer. Sally found it difficult to concentrate, made mistakes that they normally wouldn’t and subsequently began to withdraw from interacting with their colleagues and the business as a whole. 

Fortunately, their manager noticed these changes and reached out to the employee, offering them support and encouraged them to take some well needed time away from work to process their grief. Sally was reminded of the organisations EAP which provided them with further support in terms of counselling. The manager supported them through an extremely challenging time by just recognising something was not right with the employee – they weren’t their usual selves and by providing this support it allowed Sally to grieve and ultimately return to work once they were able to do so. 

Mental health in the workplace is not just a personal issue—it is and can be a critical business issue if not dealt with properly. Employers who take proactive measures to support their employees’ mental well-being nurture a more productive, engaged, and loyal workforce. By promoting open communication, providing access to appropriate resources, and offering flexible working arrangements, you can play a pivotal role in promoting mental health and creating a healthier, more inclusive workplace culture. 

Talking about our mental health can help us cope better with life’s ups and downs. So, on World Mental Health Day and beyond it, why not check in with your friends, family, peers, or colleagues.