There are going to be a lot of important conversations this week. Some up-lifting, some hard to hear. All of them necessary.
Mental Health Awareness week allows us to fully immerse ourselves in needed discussions, and over the years there has been an incredible emphasis on how we can implement mental health into our health and safety policies.
Mental health is essential to our overall well-being. It affects everything about us, how we feel and act. It can impair our ability to cope with daily stress, making us unable to feel connected to people or suffer from feelings such as loneliness, feeling detached from everyone and everything.
As of right now, more than 1 in 4 people (30%) in the UK are suffering with a mental health diagnosis. Around 8 in 100 people are diagnosed with depression.
The BITC found that in Scotland, 2 in 5 (39%) employees has experienced poor mental health due to work, with 76% of employees saying they suffered moderate to high levels of stress due to an overbearing workload.
It’s important to prioritize mental health and seek help if you’re struggling. It’s also important for businesses and organisations to implement impactful mental health policies in their H&S systems and management to protect their employees.
By understanding, learning and implementing impactful systems, we are not only able to help our employee’s well-being, but better their work life balance.
The ‘Thriving at Work’ report presents a set of guidelines known as ‘Core Standards,’ which employers of any size are recommended to implement to ensure the well-being of their employees.
These standards include producing and communicating a mental health plan that promotes good mental health for all employees and outlines available support. It also involves fostering mental health awareness among employees by providing accessible information, tools, and support, as well as promoting open conversations about mental health and the available support during the recruitment process and at regular intervals throughout employment.
Employers are encouraged to provide appropriate workplace adjustments for employees who require them, ensure good working conditions, healthy work-life balance, and opportunities for development, and promote effective people management that includes regular conversations about employees’ health and well-being with their managers or supervisors.
Although this is a good place to start, there can be a plethora of information out there and although some may have good intentions, it may lead to more harmful outcomes in the long run.
At Project Health and Safety Services, H&S is our passion and calling. We constantly learn and adapt to legislation and modern practices to give you the must up to date guidance and advice, understanding the importance of both physical and mental health.
If you aren’t sure where to start or need a guiding hand.
Contact us by email at info@projecthss.co.uk or on 0141 471 6266
We’re here for you, no matter the need.