Why do we need to take mental health in the workplace seriously?

Business West, alongside Swindon Borough Council and Swindon and Gloucestershire Mind, brought local employers and businesses from Swindon together to discuss the crucial topic of mental health support and employee wellbeing in the workplace. 

To introduce our new series of events, our first session highlighted the importance of taking mental health seriously in the workplace, the common challenges that employers face when putting a plan in place, and some of the resources and materials that are out there to support businesses – no matter their size or budget.  

We were grateful to have a fantastic line up of experts from the mental health field, with Hazel Howe, the CEO of Swindon and Gloucestershire Mind opening the event and introducing our event series. Sarah Merrington, who is Head of the Mental Health at Work Programme, discussed the work and support offered by the programme to raise awareness of the scale and complexities of tacking mental health in the workplace. Finally, to share tips and advice for implementing a mental health strategy, we heard from Sarah Morgan who is Zurich Insurance Group’s Wellbeing and D&I Consultant. 

Throughout the event we gained lots of insights into the challenges that are faced by employers, and hopefully everyone in attendance left feeling more confident about the considerations and plans that can be put in place to support their employees. Here are some of the main takeaways that we learnt. 

We are currently facing a mental health crisis 

It’s sad to hear that mental health challenges in the workplace are on the rise, with Mind’s latest research indicating that 57% have experienced poor mental health whilst working for their current employer, and only 49% feel comfortable disclosing poor mental health to their employer. (Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Index, 2021 – 2022) 

As we spend so much of our time at work, it’s important that employers feel confident and comfortable to offer the support that their employees need, not only to keep their employees engaged and happy, but also to avoid burnout and added stress.

There isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ approach to nurturing workplace mental health 

As Sarah Merrington raised, certain employee groups, such as LGBTQ+ employees, people of colour and younger employees consistently report higher levels of mental ill-health, lower levels of disclosure and are less likely to reach out for support. The same is true for male employees, who often feel a stigma when talking openly about these issues. 

Focusing on the needs of different employee groups, cultivating inclusive networks and environments, and creating tailored resources are all ways that employers can tackle this challenge. 

Don’t let a small budget or capacity issues hold you back 

Whilst it would be nice if every employer had the time and budget to offer their employees expensive training and specialist led courses, there are lots of effective things you can do without breaking the bank. 

One cost-effective strategy that Sarah Morgan discussed was making the mental health resources that you already have accessible and easy for employees to find. This might be a bit resource heavy to start with, the benefit it will have to your employees will make it worthwhile. 

It’s important that senior leadership practice what they preach

As well as this, both of our speaker’s highlighted how important it is for senior leaders to practice what they preach and be on board and engaged with your company’s mental health in the workplace strategy. If, for example, you’re telling employees to log off at a certain time, but continue to send emails at 11pm, you might be sending mixed messages about your expectations. 

Create an open culture around mental health 

This was point 3 of the Mental Health at Work’s six standards for improving mental health policy and practice and is all about showing a willingness to talk about your own mental health, making employees feel safe to open up to you and talk about their experiences. 

If employers can find ways to have these open conversations with employees regularly in a non-judgemental space, it will give both the employer and employee a better understanding of each other, leading to more tailored support when it’s needed. 

Don’t forget to keep the conversation going and seek out useful resources! 

Attending events like our Swindon Mindful Employer Network series can be the first step towards becoming a more mindful employer. Chat to people at the event, ask questions to our speakers and stay up to date with the plentiful resources available to you. 

If you’d like to be a part of the Mental Health at Work programme, which makes navigating the mental health landscape easy for employers through original content including a range of tips, ideas, and think pieces on workplace mental health, you can visit their website.