Improving workplace culture by promoting good mental health
Research shows that 41% of HR professionals are expecting to see an increase in demand for mental health support from employees. This is to be expected after evidence shows a decline in people’s mental health, staff feedback and cultural changes in society (trying to remove the stigma of mental health and support).
Here at UKIM Occupational Health & Wellbeing, we offer a suite of services designed to tackle stigma, create a better workplace culture, and most importantly, help employees with their health both mentally and physically.
What triggers poor Mental Health in the workplace?
Poor mental health can be caused by work, whether it be workload, the culture and stigma within the workplace, or other specific stressors. It can also be impacted, through no fault of work itself, but due to personal issues or life events that have taken a negative toll on mental health.
This needs to be monitored, and the correct support should be in place so that not only is the quality of work produced at the best standard but also absence can be monitored - which is crucial as poor health and sickness costs the UK economy £43 billion a year.
Within this, around 51% of long-term sick leave is due to stress, depression or anxiety. This supports the notion that HR professionals are expecting an increase in mental health support demand from staff and that there’s a crucial need for mental health support within the workplace.
People can become physically unwell due to their mental health, and they also may struggle to function at work and may need more help to prevent them being off sick. Earlier intervention and support is imperative as it can prevent things from worsening in regards to mental health and business health.
How we help HR teams with mental health support in the workplace
At UKIM Occupational Health & Wellbeing, we aim to better the mental health of employees so that they can thrive, as well as businesses.
We do this by opening conversations surrounding mental health, so people feel more comfortable seeking help, as well as offering extensive support packages such as psychological help, 24/7 employee assistance programmes (EAP) and wellbeing strategies.
What are the benefits of our wellbeing support?
- Reducing absenteeism
- Improving employee morale
- Increasing staff productivity
- Early intervention
- Support for managers
- Stronger relationships
UKIM Lead Psychologist Dr Kayode Akinsulire looks at ways to support staff mental health
Protecting employees’ mental wellbeing at work is crucial for a multitude of reasons; it reduces sickness and absences, enhances retention and recruitment, and it also increases staff productivity.
Adopting wellbeing strategies in the workplace is beneficial for both the employees and the overall business. Make a start this spring and introduce wellbeing strategies so that staff can feel their best and perform their best.
The winter months can be rather gloomy, and it can be the case that many people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which affects people’s mood and mental health.
Now that the sun is starting to shine that bit more, and flowers are starting to peek through, it’s the perfect time to boost staff morale and introduce some wellbeing strategies as part of occupational health.
Here are my wellbeing tips for your workplace:
- Reach out to colleagues - As always, talking is incredibly important as not only does it help people to deal with things, it also helps break the stigma and make other colleagues feel like they can open up too. Whether you’re just sharing a problem to find a solution or if you have something that you are struggling with personally, it’ll help. A problem shared, is a problem halved.
- Regular peer or clinical supervision as standard - Having regular supervision can help manage stress, worry, and offer reassurance that individuals are doing well; those combined can improve wellbeing levels across the workplace.
- Ensure people are not taking on too much work - Workloads can be very intense at times, and burnout is something that anyone can experience; this is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion that can actually take a toll on people physically too. It’s crucial that all workloads are managed and as above, having supervision and reaching out to colleagues can help keep workloads managed.
- Set effective boundaries - This helps a person feel comfortable at work, whilst still maintaining professionalism. This can be setting priorities, managing workload and limits, as well as clear communication. Knowing what’s expected, what’s needed, and how comfortable someone feels doing a task are all things to consider.
- Try to spend some time socially with colleagues - All work and no play can be very detrimental for mental health and wellbeing; team bonding, socialising and having some fun is the perfect way to relax and take a break. It makes people more productive in the long run as it reduces burnout and stress, it helps the team’s bond, and it keeps staff happy.
- Managers promoting a culture of staff wellbeing - It’s important for managers to lead by example and make colleagues feel like they can open up and talk about their wellbeing or concerns. The attitudes and stigma surrounding mental health and wellbeing is detrimental, so a healthier positive working culture is imperative.
- Celebrate successes - If any employee has done a good job or completed something, then celebrate it! It’s always nice to have some praise and positivity.
How UKIM Occupational Health & Wellbeing can help:
We offer bespoke wellbeing strategies that suit your business as we believe that there’s not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to wellbeing, especially for employees in various career choices.
Designed by our in-house experts, there’s a variety of schemes to really increase and monitor staff wellbeing, including health assessments, onsite health coaches, workshops, and digital employee benefit programmes.
