How can employers support employees’ mental wellbeing?

1st November 2023

With “National Stress Awareness Day” on 2nd November, employee health and wellbeing should be at the top of organisations’ agendas. In the era of remote working and high employee turnover, mental wellbeing is not just seasonal but a year-round concern. Hannah Waterworth looks at what employers can do to support employees’ wellbeing in an article first published in Business Matters Magazine on 31st October.

A 2023 report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Simplyhealth on health and wellbeing at work found that mental ill health is the top cause of long-term absences, and 76% of organisations report some stress-related absence. Heavy workloads and management style were the most common reasons for stress.

Employers' legal duties concerning employee wellbeing

Employers have a duty of care towards their employees, which means they must do all they reasonably can to support employees’ health, safety and wellbeing. Employers must treat mental and physical health as equally important.

Employers should be aware that an employee suffering from mental health issues could be defined as disabled under the Equality Act 2010. This will be the case if their mental health has a “substantial adverse effect” that lasts (or is expected to last) at least 12 months and which affects their ability to do their normal day-to-day activities. In legal terms, “substantial” means more than minor or trivial and it could mean the employee is hindered in activities like concentrating, interacting with others, or making decisions.

Support organisations can offer

Undoubtedly, a happy, healthy workforce is more productive than a stressed-out one.

Organisations should proactively prioritise mental wellbeing and support for employees to comply with legal duties while improving staff morale and productivity.

Some examples of steps organisations can take are:

  • Find out what employees want and need. You can collect this information via employee surveys and polls or open forums and conversations.
  • Ensure any Employee Assistance Programme details are readily available and confirm what assistance is available.
  • Signpost the resources available. This could be with posters in the office, via the intranet or internal emails, and ensuring that the induction process covers wellbeing initiatives.
  • Have trained mental health first aiders.
  • Develop clear policies – such as a Stress at Work or Employee Wellbeing policy – and publicise these.

Prioritising mental wellbeing is a business imperative for a more productive and harmonious work environment.

Read the article in full here.

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