Why is mental health important in the workplace?
Each year approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health condition and at least 1 in 6 employees experience common mental health problems in the workplace.
Research has shown that work is the biggest cause of stress which can stop people performing at their best. Mental health conditions are often hidden due to stigma and fear of discrimination and research has shown that a culture of fear and silence around mental health is costly to employers.
Talking about mental health and keeping an open dialogue in the workplace is a great first step towards having a positive mental health culture in the workplace, which has been shown to increase productivity and overall happiness.
What are my mental health rights at work?
As is often the case, legislations are slow to react to social expectations. Because of this, the UK legal requirements regarding mental health rights in the workplace are not as developed as they perhaps should be. The few, clear, responsibilities that an employer has for protecting their employee’s mental health at work are:
“Employers cannot discriminate against any employee (or candidate) with a mental health illness that classifies as a disability.”
“Employers must carry out a risk assessment for stress at work, and take action based on their findings.”
So when is mental illness considered a disability? That is answered by the Equality Act from 2010: “A mental health condition is considered a disability if it has a substantial and long-term effect on a person’s normal day-to-day activity.” Unfortunately, this excludes many employees that might be suffering with mental illnesses.
Similarly to the requirement to undergo a physical risk assessment, it is required of the employer to also undergo a stress-risk assessment. The goal here is to identify and take action toward treating and preventing any stress. Whilst this is a good step towards a happy and healthy workplace, it does not include any other mental illnesses.
Furthermore, an employee is not required to disclose the state of their mental health to an employer – unless they want to take advantage of the Equality Act, in which case they should disclose this information.
How can I promote mental wellbeing at work?
As an employer, there are many things that can be done in order to promote mental wellbeing in the workplace. First, you can encourage healthy discussions surrounding the mental health of employees and ensure there is less of a stigma surrounding these discussions. It is also important to listen to employees and talk about which areas could improve to better their mental health. After all, employees would be the first to notice if a new policy is negatively or positively affecting their own mental health. Furthermore, education is key. Offer training in mental health so that employees and managers alike know what symptoms to look for and so that they know how and when they can take action. Project HSS offers several courses on mental health in the workplace (listed below) that cover these topics extensively and gives helpful tools to promote mental wellbeing at work.
How can I recognise and manage my own work-related stress?
The first step to managing your own stress is to recognise and spot it. Look out for the signs of burnout and stress. Some of the most common symptoms of stress are having difficulty breathing, fatigue, anxiety and developing depression. However, the symptoms of stress vary in each person and there are many different symptoms of stress. Once you have recognised the signs you will need to assess your situation: what is the main cause of the stress? Perhaps you have a big deadline coming up, or too much on your plate? Depending on the cause of the stress symptoms, you might need to delegate some of your tasks at work or change your expectations of yourself. At times, we can be our own worst critics and expect far too much of ourselves. If we can take a step back and reassess, this might help manage the stress better. The solution to managing your stress will depend entirely on the cause of it and it is important that you can recognise when you need more outside help and know how to get it. This is part of why it is so crucial that employees are educated on the topic.
How can I support my colleagues with mental illnesses?
Supporting a colleague with mental illness is not always an easy task, and it is not always advisable that you do so alone. It is important that you educate yourself on when your colleague might need further help, and that you understand how to approach this subject as it can be very sensitive and personal. Before this, it is always helpful to offer to listen to your colleague and keep an open dialogue about mental illnesses in general in the workplace. You should try to be as supportive as possible, whilst ensuring that your colleague knows you are not a replacement for professional help. If they need it, offer to help them find out more about which resources your workplace offers to help with employees’ mental health.
Our mental health courses:
Here at Project HSS, we offer a variety of mental health courses that do more of a deep dive into the issue and how it relates to the workplace. The course that’s best for you completely depends on your own needs and what you are looking for, so have a read through the courses and see which fit your needs the best! If you’d like more information, click the name of the course to be taken to the full course description. Here are the mental health courses we offer:
Mental health awareness course
This course explains the difference between mental health and mental illness. It covers the symptoms of a number of the most common mental illnesses so you will know what to look out for or what to expect if you are working with someone with one of these conditions. As well as providing some practical advice on how you can work effectively with those affected by these conditions.
Managing mental health in the workplace course
Often managers find it difficult to know where to start conversations around Mental Health. This course offers practical guidance and tools to promote mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. This gives managers confidence when they are providing support to their staff, understanding their legal duties and enabling people with mental health problems to succeed at work.
This course will cover the following:
- What is mental health?
- What causes mental ill health?
- The conditions and symptoms of mental ill health
- Key skills for managing mental health in the workplace, including how to listen, what to say and the types of interventions that work best
- Introduction to a range of practical support and resources.
First aid for mental health course
This 6-hour qualification provides learners with the knowledge to recognise a range of mental health conditions, how to start a supportive conversation and when and how to signpost a person to seek appropriate professional help. They will learn about the first aid action plan for mental health, be able to put it in place and know how to implement a positive mental health culture in the workplace. The course will enable candidates to understand some common mental health illnesses, and to support their own mental health and the wellbeing of colleagues by creating Mental Health First Aid champions within the workplace.
Module 1 – Introduction
Module 2 – What is first aid for mental health?
Module 3 – Identifying mental health conditions
Module 4 – Providing advice and starting a conversation
Module 5 – Stress
Module 6 – Mental health conditions
Module 7 – Drugs and alcohol
Module 8 – First aid action plan for mental health – including practical assessment
Module 9 – Mental health in the workplace
Module 10 – Assessment and course closure
Supervising/leading first aid for mental health course
This 12-hour qualification provides learners with the knowledge to recognise a wide range of mental health conditions and learn about the support/therapy provided by professional healthcare providers. They will know how to start a supportive conversation and when and how to signpost a person to seek appropriate professional help. Learners will recognise and manage stress and understand the impact of substance abuse.Learners will learn about the first aid action plan for mental health, be able to put it in place and understand how to implement a positive mental health culture in the workplace. This course goes into detail on a wide range of mental health conditions and the support and help provided by healthcare professionals.
It is aimed at those within a supervisor / manager level within the workplace, as the designated First Aider for Mental Health.
Module 1 – Introduction
Module 2 – What is first aid for mental health?
Module 3 – Identifying mental health conditions
Module 4 – Providing advice and starting a conversation
Module 5 – Stress
Module 6 – Drugs and alcohol
Module 7 – First aid action plan for mental health – including practical assessment
Module 8 – Mental health in the workplace
Module 9 – Depression
Module 10 – Anxiety
Module 11 – Written assessment – paper 1