En Voyage_Issue#11_Flickbook

Business
HOW HR CAN
SUPPORT BETTER
MENTAL HEALTH
AT WORK
Worrying new research from Mind, released to coincide with Mental
Health Awareness Week, shows that employees are still finding it
difficult to talk openly about mental health at work. Erika Lucas from
Cezanne HR explains how HR can help support staff.
A survey of almost 44,000
employees found that 48% had
experienced poor mental health
(such as stress, low mood and
anxiety) while working at their
current organisation. Of those,
only half chose to tell their
manager about their difficulties.
More than 8 in 10 people said they
would continue to go into work
while experiencing poor mental
health, with 42% believing their
manager would be unable to spot
the signs they were struggling.
It’s not hard to understand why
this culture of silence prevails,
despite numerous high-profile
campaigns in recent years
designed to raise awareness
of mental health issues. Many
employees still fear that if they
disclose a mental health issue,
it will have a damaging effect
on their career prospects
or that their employer may
think they are incapable of
doing their job properly.
Given that one in four of us will
experience poor mental health at
some point in our lives, it’s an issue
employers cannot afford to ignore.
The problem can be particularly
pressing in an SME, where there
are less people around to manage
the workload and managers
need to strike a delicate balance
between supporting employees
while also making sure the team
delivers – and staying on the right
side of the law.
So, what can HR do to create
a culture where mental health
is not a taboo subject and
managers are supported in dealing
with employees who may be
experiencing difficulties?
BRING DIALOGUE BACK
INTO THE BUSINESS
In an age of email, instant
messaging and social media, it
sometimes feels as if we have
forgotten how to just sit down and
talk to each other. Managers need
to encourage a culture of open,
honest dialogue within their teams.
It’s about not being afraid to show
a human side, making yourself
available and approachable and
getting to know people on a more
personal level.
INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH IN
WELLBEING PROGRAMMES
Corporate wellness programmes
often have a strong emphasis on
the physical. But while healthy
eating and fitness initiatives are
key, it’s equally important to
include mental health.
PROVIDE SUPPORT
FOR MANAGERS
Don’t assume that managers
will automatically know how
to handle a situation where an
employee is struggling with a
mental health issue – or know
your legal obligations as an
employer. Many won’t know what
to do – and will be frightened
that by wading in they could
potentially make the situation
worse. Make sure managers know
how to spot the signs when the
kind of work related stress we all
occasionally suffer is tipping over
into something more serious – and
who to turn to for more advice.
MANAGE WORKLOAD
EXPECTATIONS
In an increasingly complex and
competitive world, organisations
are expecting more from
employees than ever before. It
is important to understand the
difference, however, between
stretching people so that they can
do their best work and pushing
them into strain and overload. HR
needs to work with managers to
ensure they are setting realistic
goals and targets and are not
putting their people under
unacceptable levels of pressure.
BENCHMARK PRACTICE
AND PROGRESS
Mind is encouraging
organisations to sign up for its
Workplace Wellbeing Index – a
benchmarking tool that can help
them identify how well they are
doing and which areas need
further action when it comes to
promoting good mental health
at work. Mind also offers free
resources for employers to help
improve mental wellbeing and
employee engagement.
For more information, visit
mind.org.uk/work
This is an extract from an
article originally published by
cezannehr.com
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