Managers play a pivotal role in their employees’ health and wellbeing. Three out of five employees say their job has the biggest influence on their mental health. With 69 percent of employees saying their manager has as much impact on their mental health as their spouse.
The mental health charity Mind advocates upskilling managers so they feel confident about initiating conversations with employees. This will also help managers spot the signs of poor mental health and enable them to be proactive in starting a conversation.
Mind also suggests that effective managers should create learning opportunities, help employees manage their workloads and promote a culture of open dialogue.
Tailored health and wellbeing
The UK government’s ‘Thriving at Work’ review suggested six core standards to improve mental health at work and help businesses provide tailored support to their employees. These include:
- Checking employee mental health and wellbeing. This can be done through available data, talking to employees and assessing risk factors.
- Ensuring all employees have a regular conversation about their health and wellbeing. This requires the support and training of line managers in effective management practices.
- Encouraging open conversations about mental health. Support should be available at recruitment and throughout employment.
- Producing and installing a mental health at work plan. This should encourage an open culture and promote good mental health for all.
- Developing mental health awareness among employees by making information, tools and support accessible.
- Providing good working conditions and ensuring employees have a healthy work-life balance. This includes development opportunities.
Implementing
These standards are dependent on the training, resourcing and support that line managers receive. It also requires a top-down culture which promotes mental wellbeing. To support this, Mind has set out a roadmap in its guide ‘How to implement the Thriving at Work Mental Health standards in your workplace’.
Advice includes:
- Recruiting mental health champions.
- Setting up work groups that bring together various parts of the organisation.
- Embedding mental health in induction and training.
- Signposting available support and peer support groups.
- Promoting a culture of teamwork, collaboration and information sharing.
- Communicating board decisions to all employees.
- Detailing how your organisation supports employees experiencing poor mental health.
- Agreeing what reasonable workloads and deadlines look like and including employees in workstream planning.
- Getting senior leaders on board and encouraging them to speak about their own mental health.
- Encouraging employees to work sensible hours. This includes taking full lunch breaks and all annual leave.
- Undertaking regular audits of employee wellbeing. This could be via anonymous surveys, HR data and other workplace metrics.
- Having robust and well-publicised policies on bullying and harassment.
- Organising ‘away days’ to discuss health improvements and planning.
- Making effective use of internal communication channels and ‘lunch and learn’ sessions.
- Enhancing development opportunities through coaching, training, mentoring and job shadowing.
Having positive conversations
Harriet Finlayson, a nurse on Bupa’s Mental Health Team, says: “There is a lot of evidence to show that having effective policies and support will help to reduce poor mental health in the workplace, but it will never eliminate it entirely.
“If someone does need time off due to their mental health then this should be treated with the same openness and concern as you would when supporting someone with a physical health problem.
“Having regular and meaningful conversations which focus on the employee’s wellbeing is an absolute must to facilitate supportive planning for a successful return to work.
She adds: “Ultimately, it’s all about having positive conversations, listening to employees’ concerns and providing tailored support.”
For more advice and guidance on supporting business leaders about the challenges and opportunities that are shaping the future of workplace health and wellbeing, visit our Health Horizons page.
