Mental health can be defined as, a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional wellbeing. Around 1 in 6 employees experience mental ill health every year, with depression and anxiety being the most common problems***. The causes of anxiety or depression are not always work-related however, work can aggravate pre-existing conditions and problems at work can increase symptoms or make their effects worse*. It is essential that employers recognise the importance of how to address mental ill health and how to support their employees.
ACAS commissioned a new poll to discover about what drives individual thoughts and experiences in regards to mental health at work. Firstly, it focuses on the mental health of employees, more specifically on the experience of stress and anxiety about work. Below are some of the key findings**:
- 66% of employees have felt stressed or anxious about work in the last year
- 28% of those who feel stressed do not do anything and try to carry on as normal
- 72% of employees believe it is the role of the manager to recognise and address anxiety and stress in the workplace
- 43% would talk to their manager if they were feeling stressed or anxious
- 28% thought it was the role of the HR department to recognise and address stress
- 10% said they would speak to HR about stress or anxiety
- 8% of employees feel that their organisation is ‘very good’ at preventing feelings of stress or anxiety about work.
These findings show that there is a gap between what employees think should happen and the actions they eventually take. The focus should now be on how to close this gap and to encourage employees to speak to the appropriate person about how they are feeling. By addressing these feelings it will increase positive mental health. Employers need to be open to communicating with their employees and approach these situations sensitively.
ACAS has also recently drawn on further research and insight from working with companies and stakeholders to develop a framework focusing on positive mental health at work. The framework has been developed to encourage support and that every person in the workplace should contribute when creating a positive working environment. For example, at the centre could be the shared goal of positive wellbeing and productive workplaces. This goal is a shared agenda between managers, employers and individuals and each role has a significant impact in achieving this.***
The Roles
Employers: show that they a visibly committed to positive mental health and adjust their wellbeing strategy accordingly.
Managers: are informed of the strategy and are open up to conversations with their employees, developing trust and communication.
Individuals: are self-aware, encouraged to look after their wellbeing, identify when they are struggling, willing to communicate and can ask for help when needed.
There are so many advantages of promoting mental health in the workplace which include:
- Reduced absence
- Improve morale
- Stronger engagement
- Increase productivity and retention
To read more about this framework follow this link. https://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=6697
To read more about how to manage stress and your legal responsibilities as an organisation, take a look at our blog. https://staffabsencemanagement.co.uk/legalrequirementsformanagingstress/
SAM, as absence management software for schools, can help to spot trends identifying stress, in particular areas or patterns in absence for a particular employee that can then be addressed. You can add Fit Notes, Occupational Health Reports and Return to Work documents within SAM, all helping you to hold regular meetings and increase contact by providing you with the information you need to make decisions. SAM supports you in applying a fair process for all employees and can ultimately help you to reduce absence and improve wellbeing by supporting staff when they need it most. If you don’t currently use SAM, get in touch with one of the team on 01924 907319 to book a demo, or follow this link.
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