Mental health at work is a challenge that UK organisations are still grappling with. Abi Clements from Mercator Digital’s community team examines what creates supportive workplaces.
Although mental health awareness has increased in recent years, many companies still treat it as a private issue and not a shared responsibility. This leads to reactive policy and actions rather than proactive ones.
It has never been more important to get this right. According to recent UK government data, young people with mental illnesses are five times more likely than others of their age to be economically unemployed. Around a quarter (25%) of those who are economically inactive because they’re ill have a mental illness. Employers have a great opportunity to help.
I am a mental health first aid and wellbeing ambassador at Mercator. If there is one thing that is certain, then it is the fact that a supportive mental environment is more than just formal documents and wellness initiatives.
This means that we need to make a fundamental change in the way we approach workplace culture. We also need dedicated resources, systemic improvements, and an agreement to treat mental health equally with physical health. Both can and are often intertwined, and should be treated as one.
The Case for Dedicated Support
We’ve made a number of important decisions, including hiring dedicated team members who are focused on ensuring that everyone feels included and heard. Our community team is solely responsible for checking in with every person within the company. This is not a tick-box exercise or a way to add on to an existing role. It’s the entire job.
It has made a real difference. People are more willing to talk about problems before they become crises when they know that someone is there to support them. This resource helps organisations identify problems early and often before they have a significant impact on someone’s wellbeing or work.
Companies can also find success by forming complementary teams. One team is focused on the personal well-being of employees, while another focuses on client satisfaction and project work. Together, these teams form a comprehensive network of support that addresses personal and professional well-being.
Building peer support networks
The transformational effect of training employees to be mental health first aiders is also evident. In many workplaces, there are now multiple mental health first-aiders in the organization. These individuals have been trained by courses like the St John Ambulance 2-day Mental Health First Aid training. This creates a culture of support for each other’s wellbeing among colleagues.
This peer support model is particularly effective because it de-stigmatizes mental health discussions. It normalises mental health discussions when your colleagues feel confident and trained to discuss it. People are more likely to seek support from their peers who can relate to their daily work challenges.
The benefits of crisis intervention extend well beyond the immediate response. These trained colleagues can spot early warning signals and guide people to appropriate resources before issues escalate.
Regular check-ins are powerful.
Any effective mental health campaign must build trust by holding regular informal check-ins. Organisers should call staff frequently, hold relaxed conversations in which team members can control the level of detail and what they wish to discuss.
Check-ins are a great way to build relationships. People talk about their work, personal issues, or just want someone to listen. This builds trust gradually to create an atmosphere where people feel supported and not monitored.
Early identification is very valuable. Many situations have been prevented from becoming worse because someone raised concerns early. When someone says they are feeling overwhelmed, it is much easier to resolve the problem than to have to deal with mental health or burnout issues in the future.
Addressing the whole spectrum of wellbeing
Mental, emotional and financial well-being must be addressed holistically to provide effective mental health care.
Some companies are forward-thinking and recognise the impact of financial stress on mental health. They cover travel expenses for their team members so they can come to work. The financial burden of commuters is not a barrier for collaboration and connection.
There are many other resources that organisations can offer, such as a confidential and free employee assistance program (EAP), quiet areas for prayer or reflection, or for neurodivergent co-workers who need some solitude, competitive benefits, such as enhanced parental leave and pension contributions, and training budgets to allow personal development.
Here’s what a holistic approach looks like. It recognizes that the challenges people face in their wellbeing are interconnected, and that multiple solutions are needed.
Creating an open-door culture
All levels of an organisation should feel free to speak up. It is also important that senior leaders are approachable and to have systems and attitudes which encourage everyone’s input.
Most effective approaches encourage people to contact anyone if they have questions, concerns, or feedback. Allyship is crucial in this case, because organisations can encourage people to work together and foster an environment that values different perspectives. We use house-based systems where teams compete to raise money for charities of their choice. This creates connections between departments and levels.
The openness of the employer can also extend to a support for people’s outside interests. Employers may encourage their staff to speak at universities, lead sessions in schools, or take part in events such as Women in Tech. People are more enthusiastic and energetic in their work when they feel supported by their employer.
Looking forward
It takes more than employee assistance programs and wellbeing surveys to create a mentally-healthy workplace. It requires dedication, resources, and a willingness not to just focus on output, but also the whole person.
Businesses can create supportive environments by taking concrete steps. The government offers support to people with mental illnesses through its initiatives. The real challenge is to create safe workplaces where people can thrive.
Benefits speak for themselves. People are more collaborative, creative and loyal when they feel supported. Because they are valued as human beings, employees bring their best selves into the workplace.
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It’s high time more organisations moved beyond the superficial, performative gestures of wellbeing and created meaningful, systemic mental health support. It is simply not worth it to ignore mental health issues, as they can lead to human suffering and loss of productivity.
