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Hand picking Employee Mental Health Programs Approaches can be a predicament, especially when you have no idea where to start. Hopefully this article can be of value.
It’s simple to host a virtual wellness event or offer employees a well-being stipend. What’s less straightforward is asking your team what they need, genuinely listening, and responding accordingly. In a world that feels like it’s changing by the hour, it’s critical to get a sense of how your employees’ well-being is changing, too. It makes logical sense why mental health wasn’t talked about at work historically. For a long time, many people didn’t understand what mental health was, and definitely not mental illness, or have the permission to talk about “those feelings” in their personal lives. So, what would make older generations in the workplace think they could talk to their manager about it unless it had been spoken about at home in their formative years? Something that can lead to work-related mental health problems is when employees are unable to control the way they do their work. Wellbeing measurement has been delivered by expert practitioners and HR teams dating back to the 1980s. Yet HR teams are now better equipped with the skills and technology required to engage, measure and identify areas to act on insights gathered at scale. Creating good mental health wellbeing in the work place can include encouraging social interaction and collaboration – this might even be daily, at team meetings, or at regular social events so teams can connect. Think about making comfortable spaces at work for conversation. You could also hold team building days, sponsor fun runs, family days, team sports, shared lunches and various workplace competitions. Talking about stress management, self-care, and mental health in meetings and in email communications can reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. When employees trust you won't call them "crazy" for having a panic attack or fire them when they're struggling with depression, they'll be more willing to seek treatment. And fortunately, most mental health conditions are very treatable.
A mentally healthy and safe workplace culture makes employees feel more comfortable coming forward with mental health concerns. It can help keep employees at work and support them when they return to work if they’ve been on disability leave. For employees, it is important to become actively engaged in their own health and wellbeing and participate in strategies that promote both mental and physical wellbeing. This includes employee involvement in workplace programmes around mental health, with potential actions including volunteering as a mental health champion or making efforts to address stigma through sharing personal stories. The current difficult financial climate has the potential to increase mental health problems in employees because of worries about job insecurity and unemployment. Measures to safeguard employee mental wellbeing could help businesses and organisations retain staff with the skills and experience necessary for sustaining business performance in the long tem. If reasonably practical, employees should be provided with opportunities for flexible working according to their needs and aspirations in both their personal and working lives. Different options for flexible working include part-time working, home-working, job sharing and flexitime. Such opportunities can enhance employees' sense of control and promote engagement and job satisfaction. Communication that emphasizes that leadership cares about concepts such as employers duty of care mental health should be welcomed in the working environment.Practice Self-care
Small and medium organisations account for 99% of the businesses in the UK. But research shows that, when it comes to mental health, they often fall behind larger organisations. Being mentally well means that your mind is in order and functioning in your best interest. You are able to think, feel and act in ways that create a positive impact on your physical and social well-being. Mental health can affect worker safety. Even if no actual illness is diagnosed, it’s easy to imagine how a worker’s mental state might affect his or her ability to make good decisions and recognize potential hazards. Training managers to recognise mental health problems and support staff will help maintain employee wellbeing. Managers can spot the signs by being alert to the potential triggers, such as long hours and no breaks, unrealistic expectations or deadlines and high-pressure environments. It’s important to recognise that an employee’s performance or behaviour can be affected if they are experiencing a mental health problem. Even though it may not be easy to become an employee-centric company addressing workplace wellbeing support it is of utmost importance in this day and age.
The importance of maintaining good mental health cannot be underestimated. At any time, one in six adults will be suffering mental health issues. This can include conditions such as anxiety, depression, stress or even more serious ones like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Programme learning and knowledge sharing are essential for any successful organisation and this is even more important in an area such as workplace mental health and wellbeing where collective knowledge is in its infancy. To be successful all programmes should be iterative with results evaluated and lessons embedded. Research studies provide strong evidence that companies with high levels of mental health awareness are more successful. According to research by University of Warwick, addressing wellbeing at work increases productivity by up to 12%. And, as reported in the government’s Stevenson-Farmer Review of Mental Health and Employers in 2017, businesses that invest in mental health interventions report an average of £4.20 return for each pound spent. Tackling the mental health at work problem before it actually becomes a problem seems like a natural approach to take. For instance, organizations can offer their employees easy access to self-help solutions such as meditation and yoga. There are numerous digital wellness services available, similar to gym subscriptions, that make it easy to incorporate them into an existing employee wellness program. Around 264 million people globally, suffer from depression and from anxiety, and 450 million people experience mental or neurological disorders. A study in Korea found that 75 percent of those who attempted suicide, were living with more than one mental illness, and in Australia, the suicide rate amongst people with a mental illness is more than seven times higher than in the rest of the population. An opinion on workplace wellbeing ideas is undoubtebly to be had in every workplace in the country.On-site Mental Health Support
If employees are being given extra emotional rewards (with purposeful work) and non-monetary rewards (with perks like office dogs), it can be more difficult for them to assert clear boundaries around basic rights like reasonable hours and being treated decently. Supporting employees through a period of mental ill health may be difficult on a personal and professional level. It is important to look after your own mental health and wellbeing too. Some employees are responsible for caring for people with mental ill health. Managers need to recognise that these carers require supportive workplaces and flexibility in order to successfully manage both their caring and work roles. Evidence also shows that employers who, after a fair recruitment process, have appointed the right person for the right job, find no difference between the performance of people who have or have had a mental health condition and those who don't/haven't. Disclosure can be a positive experience, but discrimination and self-stigma remain big issues. A majority of respondents to the workplace mental health and wellbeing survey who disclosed a mental health problem to an employer described it as an overall positive experience, and were more aware of the support available to them than those who had not. Businesses looking to better support their staff must embrace a more nuanced approach to mental health that covers all challenges. The types of support offered should be numerous, ranging from therapy and counselling, through to other services such as psychology, life coaching, careers guidance and meditation. Similarly to any change that happens within organizations, discussions around managing employees with mental health issues need planning and implementing properly.
Managers should explore with any employee reporting a mental health issue how to address any difficulties which are work-related, which might in turn help them to cope with any problems in other areas of their lives. Managers should encourage employees to see their GP as a first step and ensure they are aware of any support available either from their employer, for example talking to mental health first aiders within the organisation or using a confidential employee assistance helpline. Work-related stress is the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work. Mental heath training is important because it can help leaders better understand the links between job stress and health. They can also learn what they can do to support and prevent mental health issues in the workplace. Training should also focus on diversity and inclusivity. By including these topics, leaders will be better equipped to meet their employees ‘where they are.’ It will also help them to respond appropriately. The barriers that prevent people with mental health conditions from finding and keeping paid work include not knowing there are laws to protect their rights in work, such as the Disability Discrimination Act. It’s important for staff to have options. For example, managers need to feel well-equipped to hold sensitive conversations with their team members, there should be encouragement for staff members to connect with trusted colleagues, and organizations should provide signposting to a wide range of professional resources, both internally and externally. Organisations can make sure their employee benefits package provides support for Wellbeing for HR today.Treat People As Individuals
Many factors can affect mental health at work. Stress is an important way in which work affects mental health. Depression and anxiety are common and may be related to work (as well as to other factors such as difficult life events, for example bereavement or relationship breakdown). The UK has made significant progress in opening up conversations around mental health and wellbeing and in attempting to reduce the stigma it invokes. However, this progress appears to be occurring at a slower rate in the workplace, compared to conversations occurring in public spaces more generally. Every organisation has an opportunity to support and develop a mentally healthy workforce and thankfully it doesn’t need to be complicated. Unearth further facts relating to Employee Mental Health Programs Approaches at this Health and Safety Executive article.Related Articles:
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