When you hear the phrase ‘mental health’ how do you as a manager react?
Mental health can vary just like an individual's physical health. For many, mental ill-health can prove a short term blip in the same way as breaking an arm. For others, it can be much longer term with severe, debilitating consequences. It is estimated that nearly three in every ten employees will experience a mental health problem in any one year, according to the Mental Health Foundation (MHF). It warns that the recent and dramatic rise in Britain'€™s working hours suggests this is likely to increase.
According to the MHF, "The pressure of an increasingly demanding work culture in the UK is perhaps the biggest and most pressing challenge to the mental health of the general population. The cumulative effect of increased working hours is having an important effect on the lifestyle of a huge number of people, which is likely to prove damaging to their mental well-being."
The MHF's campaign highlights that work related stress costs Britain 10.4 million working days per year. There is also the human cost of unmanaged work related stress. It reports that 13% of the UK working population work 49 hours or more per week. The MHF recommends that a healthy work-life balance is a key way to protect your mental health against the potential detrimental effects of work related stress.
How can my organisation support managers and staff?
Guidance and training to support employers and managers is available through professional institutes and a range of organisations.The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) offers briefings and insights to help managers improve awareness of the mental health and well-being of their staff.
Chartered Management Institute's Management Direct resource library
ACAS and the NHS have teamed up to offer a training package and guidance to encourage positive mental health at work.
ACAS' Advice and Guidance on Mental Health
The charity MIND offers advice and workplace training as do many other providers.
Workplace mental health well-being programmes, such as those offered by the charities MIND and Business in the Community, are becoming more commonly used by employers. The programmes can also enhance the attractiveness of the organisation as an employer.
MIND - Workplace Wellbeing
Business in the Community Workwell Model
What's your workplace approach?
How does your organisation support mental health in the workplace? If you are manager in the region and could suggest or write about additional resources, contact Jo Strain, CMI Southern Region lead for Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace.Could your workplace run an initiative or raise awareness during the annual World Mental Health Day or Mental Health Awareness Week?
World Mental Health Day - 10 October
The campaign organisers aim "every year on World Mental Health Day to get the nation talking about mental health, which is one of the best things you can do to look after your mental health."https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/world-mental-health-day
You can follow the campaign on Twitter by following #WMHD16
Exploring how we use time
In autumn 2016, the Mental Health Foundation is exploring the theme of time and how the use of time can profoundly impact on the quality of an individual's mental health. It will be working with a number of organisations to highlight the importance of 'being mindful and taking time out of our busy lives to focus on our own wellbeing.'Work life balance, Mental Health Foundation
The next Mental Health Awareness Week will be from 8-14 May 2017.
Further reading
These are just some of the resources and articles available online.(1) MIND http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/statistics-and-facts-about-mental-health/how-common-are-mental-health-problems/
Four ways to improve the mental health of your staff - CMI Insights article (August 2016)
'How not to discriminate - what every manager needs to know' - CMI Insights article (May 2016)
'Managers struggle in always on work culture' - CMI Insights article (January 2016)
Call for mental health first aid - CMI Insights article (2015)
'Bosses are ignoring staff with mental health issues' - CMI Insights article (November 2014)
Article authors: Jo Strain, CMI Southern Region lead for Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace, and Abha Thakor. Thank you to the Mental Health Foundation for materials about its Work-Life Balance campaign.
