Why should I invest in supporting in Workplace Wellbeing?
Yvonne Sharp – Mental Health Trainer, Hull and East Yorkshire Mind
Ignoring the mental health of your workforce comes at a high price.
However, by investing in and supporting workplace well-being, you can ensure that more individuals facing mental health challenges receive the necessary support and the respect they deserve – and that’s truly significant. The benefits for you are substantial as well. In fact, for every £1 invested in promoting workplace well-being and providing proactive approaches to support, you could expect a return on investment of £6.30, along with a happier, healthier, and more productive workforce.
Employers must take the first step by sending a clear message that the mental health of their staff is highly valued. To achieve this, we recommend that employers:
- Promote wellbeing to all of the workforce
- Tackle the causes of work-related poor mental health
- Support staff who are experiencing poor mental health
Promote wellbeing
A workplace culture where employees feel able to voice ideas and are listened to, both about how they do their job and in broader decision-making about the organisation’s direction of travel, is also a key driver of employee engagement. This is because employees feel more committed to the organisation’s goals when they feel that their work is meaningful and valued.
Raising awareness and promoting discussion of mental health and wellbeing also drives engagement, helps to overcome prejudice and means that employees will be more likely to disclose issues sooner.
Encouraging a good work-life balance, developing good communication, supporting flexible working practices, and promoting positive working relationships and social activities are also important.
Investing in these approaches and promoting them to staff sends out a clear message to staff that their mental health is valued by the organisation.
Tackle the causes of mental ill health
Considering how much time we spend at work, it’s not surprising it can affect our mental health. The way that managers behave is often key in shaping whether being at work has a positive or a negative impact on staff.
Effective managers help employees to manage their workloads, create opportunities for coaching and learning, and promote a culture of open dialogue – all of which help to boost staff mental wellbeing and employee engagement levels.
Regular supervisions or one-to-one meetings are crucial to build trust and give employees a chance to raise issues at an early stage. Providing mentoring or on the-job coaching also helps to develop this relationship.
Improving the physical environment and publicising available support can also help tackle the causes of poor mental health.
Carrying out an assessment of your workplace can give a clear picture of the state of the organisation as a whole. This enables you to understand what factors affect staff mental health in your workplace and what needs to be done to make improvements
Support staff experiencing poor mental health
If mental health problems are suspected or disclosed, the first step is to establish honest, open communication with the employee, and this should be maintained if people take time off for sickness absence. If possible, the frequency of contact should be agreed before someone takes time off.
How you respond to an employee experiencing a mental health problem is a fundamental test of your organisation’s values. Trust and integrity are key drivers of engagement – employees need to see that the organisation lives its values and does what it says it will in terms of treating its people well.
But standing by people when they experience problems is not only about keeping hold of a valuable staff member – it also sends a message about your organisation’s values to staff and external audiences. Supportive organisations find they reap the benefits in terms of commitment from all staff.
Everyone’s experience of a mental health problem is different, so managers should be supported to work with staff to develop a personal action plan which identifies triggers and what support the employee needs
Let us help you
At Hull and East Yorkshire Mind, we strongly believe that early interventions can help employees remain resilient, feel supported, stay engaged, and be highly productive in their workplaces.
Our team of experts collaborate with organisations to create a culture that promotes mental health and wellbeing, while also providing the necessary space and support for addressing mental health challenges.
Embedding proactive and positive workplace wellbeing isn’t just crucial, it’s the right thing to do.
Let us help you achieve it.
Email [email protected] or click here.
Join us on World Mental Health Day, Tuesday 10th October 2023, where we will be talking all things workplace wellbeing. Alongside a free breakfast and networking opportunities, our specialist speakers will share their expertise on a range of topics crucial to a thriving workplace, including workplace wellbeing strategies, nurturing a positive company culture, tackling the cost of living crisis, supporting physical health and navigating the menopause journey.
