It’s the right time to become a mindful employer

Statistics can sometimes mask the real picture!   

We hear that 1 in 4 people are suffering a mental health issue each year or 1 in 6 employees are experiencing mental illness in the workplace. These are painfully high figures, but are they hiding a more complex reality? 

We will all experience mental health issues in the course of our lifetime, whether this originates from our home life, relationships, our physical health, bereavements and the daily pressures of the world of work – or a mixture of various factors which simply wear down our mental wellbeing and can cause stress, anxiety and depression or perhaps worse. Which is why resilience is such a key subject in the modern workplace.

Resilience is more than a course to attend or a polite chat at our annual appraisal meeting - it stems from the culture and environment encouraged in the workplace from all employees regardless of where they are on the management/organisational chart. This is about openness around the subject of mental health and eliminating the prejudice and stigma associated with these matters – but this takes leadership. 

Senior managers and business owners should set an example and talk about mental health issues, and in some cases share their own experiences and views and encourage that open dialogue. To reduce or eliminate the disastrous impact of mental distress and illness in the workplace (including high sick leave rates) we need to start those difficult conversations, which 20 years ago would have been discouraged.

So let’s have more conversations about mental health in the work environment – let’s put the subject on the agendas for team gatherings, monthly supervision and board meetings which will help make our businesses exciting and successful environments to participate in.

For more information visit: https://www.sgmind.org.uk/swindon/