After a rise in mental illnesses such as anxiety, stress and depression, Britons logged an additional 5m sick leaves last year. Around 70% of all occupational referrals are related to mental health. This is a worrying increase. It is clear that there is a need to increase awareness about mental health and provide greater support for workers. Businesses should prioritize employee wellbeing, but if they don’t actively work to improve support, they risk financial losses and adverse impacts on their day-to-day operation. Businesses in the UK will lose an estimated PS102bn due to presenteeism and absenteeism by 2023.
Businesses need to start seeing employee wellbeing as an investment that pays off in the long run, rather than just a box to be ticked. Many organisations are now having more conversations about workplace wellbeing. However, more needs to be done in order to tackle the issue.
Businesses can reduce sick leave and burnout by creating a culture in which mental health issues are openly discussed.
How Employers Can Take Action
It’s important that employers recognise as a first step that mental health is more complex than one size fits all. Managers should start by engaging in open discussions with their team, as this can improve the level of comfort to flag specific needs. To make this work, companies should train managers and team leaders on how to have difficult conversations with employees and what mental health struggles may look like.
Many companies train mental health first aiders within their teams in order to provide immediate support to colleagues who are experiencing mental health crises or challenges. It can be a huge difference to how employees react and feel at work if they are equipped with the skills necessary to recognize early signs of mental distress, and to respond with compassion and discretion. Recent research showed that only 20% of employees would talk to HR or people managers, but 50% felt comfortable talking to their line manager about their mental health.
Many line managers are now managing their own workload and the mental wellbeing of their team, while others have a much more demanding role. Line managers are increasingly being asked for help and they should be given more training in emotional literacy and psychological safety. All managers should receive mental health first aid training.
Training should also be focused on the wellbeing of managers and how to best handle delicate situations without feeling overwhelmed. Businesses could create supervision groups where managers can discuss any situations they found difficult or triggering while providing support, and receive guidance on how to better handle them.
Organisations must also be aware of generational differences. In February of this year, there were 270,000 young adults aged 16 to 34 who are not economically active due to mental illness. Gen Z and recent graduates could be targeted to combat this problem, since they are more concerned with mental health. Some people are not equipped to deal with increased stress and workload, especially in large corporate environments. They may leave their jobs or take time off.
Companies could provide more training on emotional resilience to help reduce the attrition of young workers. This training could be offered as part of the onboarding process to new employees, to equip them with the tools they need to cope in a stressful work environment.
Organizations can’t solve all problems within their own business. It is important that employees have access to resources to meet their needs. This can be done through external therapy or counselling. Referrals from a healthcare provider can be a great way to offer the support that employees need.
Mental wellbeing is just as important as physical well-being. Employers can help employees reduce stress and burnout by playing a crucial role.
To create safe workplaces, it is important to consider workplace culture, leadership, and communication. Businesses should look at their teams to see how they can provide the support all employees require, especially now that mental health is reaching a record low in the UK workforce. Businesses can improve their employee’s wellbeing by being compassionate and proactive about poor mental health.
The original version of this article How can employers support their employees during a mental health crisis? appeared first on Human Resources News.
