What particularly is widespread in relation to Employer's Mental Health Programs Schemes at this moment?

If people are operating at optimum wellness, if they are feeling good and feeling healthy, they’re going to be more engaged. Individuals blossom in supportive environments. Teams are at their most creative when they are fully engaged. They will enjoy going the extra mile. The stark reality is that we don’t have to look very far to notice inequalities and the mental health impacts that result from them. From the gender pay gap and racial discrimination to income inequalities within countries and tackling climate change, to name a few, the United Nations (UN) cites that 71% of the world’s population live in countries where inequality has grown. There’s no doubt that many of the world’s inequality issues will, and do, have an impact on the mental health of those affected. Would you be more willing to talk to your manager about your mental health in a workplace that talked about mental illness in a respectful, non-judgemental, clear and understandable way or one in which you heard people referring to individuals playing the stress card? The workplace is often an individual’s main source of stress in the first place and a leading cause of being emotionally unwell. In fact, a recent survey by Ipsos found that one in four Americans say work is a source of anxiety. Managers who don’t help remove obstacles or share resources with employees can contribute to employees feeling overwhelmed and unmotivated. For instance, rather than expecting employees to figure out tasks that they’re unclear about, managers should demonstrate how to complete those tasks and stay available for questions. Company-funded counselling schemes and free NHS services can provide a safe space for staff to explore emerging problems before they become acute.



Because poor mental health is likely to be a ‘hidden’ disability and many people are reluctant to disclose a condition, it is good practice for an employer to make adjustments for someone experiencing poor mental health even if they do not necessarily consider they have a disability under the Equality Act. Unresolved mental health issues may cause absence, loss of productivity and high staff turnover, and it is employers who bear the associated costs once they hit the bottom line. Organisations that take meaningful action to promote employee wellbeing will, therefore, enjoy a competitive advantage over those that don’t, or that merely pay lip service to it. 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. 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. Thinking about concepts such as workplace wellbeing ideas is really helpful in a workplace environment.

Mental Health Is Something We All Have

The reality is that mental health is much more than just the absence of mental illness, and it’s much more than just a box checked on your employee benefits package. Consider topics around our physical health; if we encounter a brief illness or sustain an injury, we have the ability to do and try things that will heal us or make us feel better. Now look at that in the light of our mental wellness. Uncertainty breeds anxiety, and we are living in uncertain times. Mental health problems can affect anyone, of any age and background. However with support most people can and do recover. By making changes to your workplace environment, and offering support to employees, you can reduce the duration and severity of mental health issues and enhance recovery. To create healthy workplaces, we must encourage people to come forward and share their experiences. When employees feel that sharing about mental illnesses won’t damage their career, they will feel comfortable to share the challenges they face with you. Moreover, once they get the support from their leaders, they might also encourage their peers to come forward with the challenges they are facing and seek help. Every organisation has an opportunity to support and develop a mentally healthy workforce and thankfully it doesn’t need to be complicated. Similarly to any change that happens within organizations, discussions around workplace wellbeing support need planning and implementing properly.

A wellness program can provide strategies for stopping the cycle of negative, obsessive thoughts. One effective method is distraction: When negative thoughts take over, have employees engage in a new task that requires complete concentration. Studies show that behaviors of leaders and supervisors influence the actions and job performance of employees and that unsupportive managers are associated with poorer employee health and higher turnover. More recent evidence builds on previous studies to show that having an unsupportive supervisor is also associated with poor mental health. There are many types of mental health issue. An issue can happen suddenly, because of a specific event in someone’s life, or it can build up gradually over time. Managing and supporting people who are nervous or anxious about returning to the workplace calls for careful planning. Employees need to understand the steps their employers have taken to ensure they will be safe and that their wellbeing is genuinely a high priority. Professionals are spending more hours ‘at work’ than ever before. This could be credited to the evolving nature of business priorities coupled with how connected we are today. Organizations like ThoughtWorks are working to both understand how this lifestyle change has impacted employees and therefore provide more support. Don't forget to send out proper internal communications around how to manage an employee with anxiety in your organisation.

Lead From The Top

Staying healthy at work is about more than just diet and exercise habits. Prioritizing your mental health can help you stay healthy, happy, and live a longer life. Despite the globally recognized mental health impact, some studies showed that workers remained hesitant to speak to their manager or people in the company about their mental health, for fear that they would be seen like they couldn’t cope and perform, and that they may be replaced. Take proactive steps to keep your employees’ work/life balance healthy. You could encourage your staff to work sensible hours, ensure they take full lunch breaks, and advise them to avoid working at weekends. We all have mental health, just as we have physical health. Mental health, like physical health, can fluctuate on a spectrum from good to poor. Poor mental health can therefore affect any of us irrespective of age, personality or background. Mental health problems can appear as a result of experiences in both our personal and working lives – or they can just happen. Presenteeism, whatever the reason for it, may be a sign of mental distress which, left unchecked, could lead to even more damaging (and costly) stress and mental health-related problems. Successive Absence Management reports from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) indicate that presenteeism is on the rise, and that the cost to employers is already much higher than that of absenteeism. For employers not investing in wellbeing initiatives, managing employees with mental health issues can be a difficult notion to comprehend.

There is a large annual cost to employers from mental ill health of between £33 billion and £42 billion3 (with over half of the cost coming from presenteeism – when individuals are less productive due to poor mental health in work) with additional costs from sickness absence and staff turnover. Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that turn into big problems and unresolved personal or work issues start to impact our wellbeing. While there are more people at work with mental health conditions than ever before, 300,000 people with a long term mental health problem lose their jobs each year1, and at a much higher rate than those with physical health conditions. Employees will respond negatively to wellbeing initiatives if they believe they are merely being implemented to get them to work harder. This is why harnessing the right culture in the workplace is important. So it is an environment where employee wellbeing can flourish. Leadership is key to developing this culture and its success relies upon buy-in and cooperation of all leaders from the board level down. Poor “soft skills” can affect an organization in many different ways. Lack of conflict resolution skills can lead to tension among employees, cause unnecessary delays and create stress. Poor communication skills can also lead to misunderstandings, resulting in unsafe work environments, increased expenses, low production and a higher turnover rate. Communication that emphasizes that leadership cares about concepts such as employers duty of care mental health should be welcomed in the working environment.

Provide Support And Employee Care

There are a number of behaviours that can indicate that an employee could be suffering from anxiety. You should keep an eye out for these – identifying it early will allow you to have a conversation sooner and get cracking with an action plan. Recently though, evidence suggests that mental health organisations are putting in concerted efforts to change this opinion. ACAS is a valuable HR source and the organisation teamed up with the NHS Mindful Employer Initiative to develop a training package and advisory booklet that promotes positive mental health at work. Pressures vary significantly across different industries. In the predominately male construction industry, rates of suicide are particularly high, specific pressures include physically hard work, cold and harsh working environments, low pay, long hours, time pressures, job-insecurity and a ‘macho’ culture. All of these things along with significant periods away from home can lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness and poor mental health. Stumble upon further information regarding Employer's Mental Health Programs Schemes on this Health and Safety Executive page.

Related Articles:

Mental Health At Work Programs Mediations: Perturbed By What's Offered?
Questions Concerning Mental Health In The Workplace
What The General Public Ought To Know About Mental Health In The Workplace Initiatives