The topic of mental health in the workplace continues to be an important focus, and companies must take proactive steps to ensure they have the right HR policies and practices to protect their staff’s mental well-being.
Mental health is a broad term that encompasses all aspects of an individual’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It encompasses how we think, feel, and act. Feeling mentally well can help us stay in control of our lives and cope with the everyday pressures of work and home life.
Businesses are recognising the importance of taking positive steps to ensure their employees’ well-being is supported, both for ethical and practical reasons. Investing in employees’ mental health has been proven to result in improved performance, productivity, and morale. It can also reduce the burden of costs resulting from ill-health-related absences and help to reduce the risk of burnout.
A company’s Human Resources department can help create a supportive and welcoming environment for employees with good practices and policies. HR teams should be informed and actively involved in ensuring employees’ mental well-being is being prioritised.
Mental Health in the Workplace
It is also important to recognise that poor mental health can amount to a disability so if the employee’s poor mental health is considered a disability, businesses must be prepared to make reasonable adjustments to help them carry out their job without being at a disadvantage.
Organisational factors that could contribute to mental health issues in the workplace include long working hours, high workloads, lack of job security, lack of support or understanding from managers or colleagues, poor management, lack of progression opportunities, or negative company culture. Personal circumstances can also have an impact: financial worries, relationship issues, health problems, family issues, or home problems. It’s also important to acknowledge that physical health issues can seriously affect a person’s mental well-being.
It’s not just the affected individual who can suffer due to poor mental health in the workplace. Staff absences due to illness can have a strain on the remaining staff, resulting in additional workloads and increased stress levels. Poor mental well-being can also lead to an increase in poor performance, increased risk of mistakes, and a lack of creativity or innovation.
Good HR Practices
The HR team can play an essential role in tackling mental health issues in the workplace and supporting positive mental well-being.
Creating and sustaining a supportive working environment is paramount. Companies should develop and maintain a strong sense of belonging, compassion, and understanding throughout the workplace and provide opportunities for building meaningful relationships between colleagues. Ensuring all employees know the various support networks available, such as mental health charities or employee assistance programs, is also essential.
The HR team can implement flexible working policies allowing employees to choose specific hours that suit their circumstances or commitments. This could include providing relaxed start and finish times, allowing a mix of remote and in-office work, or introducing an option of compressed hours over four days per week rather than the standard five.
Open communication is also essential. An organisation should provide multiple channels for employees to express issues or concerns, such as one-to-one meetings with a manager, anonymous surveys, or regular team meetings.
HR departments should actively support mental well-being initiatives in the workplace. This could be arranging and hosting education or awareness sessions, providing resources such as mental health-focused books or leaflets, arranging stress management workshops, or promoting mental health awareness initiatives such as this month’s Samaritan’s Talk To Us campaign.
Fostering a workplace culture of compassion and understanding is equally important. It eases the conversation around mental well-being and ensures employees feel comfortable seeking help or talking to someone about their mental health without fearing stigma or shame.
If you need any help or advice in implementing some of the HR practices described above, please reach out to the Westcountry HR team.