Mental Health Support in the Workplace

WHO explains that mental health conditions are increasing worldwide and in 2017 there had been a 13% rise in the last decade. Despite more people having mental health conditions, and greater awareness it can still be difficult for employers to know how to support their staff’s mental well-being in practice. This week is Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 so we are looking at just that - this blog outlines some of the legal requirements as well as ways employers can create a culture that supports their employee’s mental health. 

Are Mental Health Conditions Disabilities? 

Mental health can impact all areas of life, including work. Sometimes this can leave people struggling to carry out their normal work and tasks, or in other cases, work can cause them more anxiety than usual. According to the Mental Health Foundation, a 2013 Global Burden of Disease Study showed that the most predominant mental health problems worldwide include: 

• Depression 
• Anxiety 
• Schizophrenia 
• Bipolar disorder 

Under the Equality Act 2010, some mental health conditions are classed as being a disability and so must be treated as such by the law. The Mental Health Foundation state that major depressive disorder is thought to be the second leading cause of disability worldwide and in a recent disease index, mental health conditions were shown to account for 21.2% of years lived with disability worldwide. 

For a mental health problem to be considered a disability it must: 

• Have more than a small effect on a person’s everyday life 
• Make things more difficult for someone 
• Has lasted at least 12 months, is likely to last 12 months, or if the mental health problem has improved, it is likely to recur. -  

Employer Requirements for Workplace Mental Health 

Therefore, employers have various legal requirements regarding the well-being and health of their staff. ACAS, who provide employment advice, state that employers have a duty of care to their staff so are required to do all they reasonably can to support their employees' health, safety, and wellbeing. This includes: 

• Ensuring a safe working environment 
• Protecting staff from discrimination 
• Conducting risk assessments 
• Make reasonable adjustments for staff with a disability 
• Have an absence policy that details how staff should report an absence, staff in touch during absence and how much employees will be paid, and for how long 

How Can Employers Support Staffs Mental Health? 

The Mental Health Foundation has created a great online resource that outlines various steps that employers can take to ensure they are supporting their staff’s mental health which you can view here. Some of the key points for employers include: 

• Establish a workplace culture that commits to improving staff mental health and values openness and communication.

• Ensure that senior leaders and middle managers understand and are responsible for implementing mental health programmes. 

• Continually reviewing the workplace culture and environment to ensure it is as mentally healthy as possible. For example by conducting regular staff surveys that include staff mental health and wellbeing and using these findings to improve policies. 

• Make evidence-based mental health promotion tools like mindfulness and exercise available to all staff. 

• Encourage staff to report any discrimination or harassment they experience or have seen others experience. 

However, one of the main things an employer can do is simply talk to the person themselves.  They can give you the best insight into their challenges and support needs. Starting the conversation here is key. 

Benefits of Improving Mental Health in the Workplace 

Employers are not legally required to provide all the support and systems we mention in this blog, but there are many potential benefits from a company doing so including: 

• Increased morale at work- which leads to increased productivity, efficiency, and innovation
• Less time off sick for some employees
• Attracting and keeping quality staff- the effect of poor retention is significant as recent figures suggest the cost of employee turnover to UK business exceeds £4 billion annually
• Providing access to a wider customer group (the purple pound) - if people see themselves represented in your company, they are more likely to buy from you
• Enhancing your company image internally and externally 

How We Work With Employers to Support Staff Wellbeing 

At Ways into Work, we work with both Employers and Job Seekers / Employees to provide practical support, and reasonable adjustments to ensure that both the employer and their employee’s needs are met. We provide a unique, hands-on service. We don’t just write a report and tell you what to do, we help you translate recommendations into actions.  We roll up our sleeves and together we make it happen.