By Samuel Rapley 10/10/2017

Under: Team Welfare

Mental Health at Work: How to Start the Conversation

On top of the costs of absenteeism, mental ill health can also impact employee motivation and productivity and increase staff turnover. Worryingly, less than half of employees say they feel comfortable talking openly to a manager about workplace stress. Starting a conversation around mental health and creating an open culture of communication is the first step to positive change.

Here are our top tips for starting the conversation and ensuring your workplace is somewhere people look forward to coming to every day.

Celebrate World Mental Health Day

Tuesday 10^th October 2017 is World Mental Health Day. Events like this can provide an excellent opportunity to get your workplace talking about mental health and share key messages with employees and management teams.

Get involved with the national ‘Tea and Talk’ event and raise money for The Mental Health Foundation as well as boosting awareness of the issue at your organisation.

Download your free Tea and Talk kit here.

Communicate Your Well-Being Strategy

Don’t make the mistake of side-lining mental health – make it as important to your health and safety strategy as your height safety or eye protection policies.

Get things moving with a companywide email outlining your well-being strategy. This should communicate why the issue is so important and what you’ll be doing to ensure the well-being of the whole team. It should also outline contact details for support services.

Use posters on-site to reinforce your message and keep mental health front of mind.

Ask for Feedback and Volunteers

Mental health needs to be a conversation that flows both ways – ask employees for feedback on how workplace wellbeing is faring and whether your strategies are working in practice.

Conduct anonymous staff surveys to ensure views can be expressed even when staff feel they can’t communicate problems in person.

Ask for volunteers to share stories or to become a well-being champion for your team. Those appointed to supporting roles should be given sufficient training and time allocation to do the job well.

Team Meetings and Discussion Groups

Put mental health on the agenda at your next meeting and introduce an open discussion. Use team meetings as an opportunity to check in with staff about their stress levels and any concerns they have about team well-being.

In-depth discussion groups that focus solely on mental health can provide more time to delve into issues further and address problems. Inviting managers to share personal stories can be a great way to normalise the topic and make others feel more comfortable talking openly.

Need Support? You are Not Alone

If you’re unsure where to turn for help, contact your manager or HR team about support services available at your workplace.

If you or someone you know needs urgent help or support call the confidential Mind Infoline on 0300 123 3393 or text: 86463. Mind is a leading mental health charity and can provide information on types of mental health problem, where to get help, medication and alternative treatments. 

Alternatively, call the Samaritans helpline on 116 123 which is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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