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In order to let go of the stigma associated with mental health, although it’s crucial to understand mental ill health, long-term conditions, and how to access quality support, this must be counterbalanced with information on how to nurture, support, and practice mentally healthy habits that enhance your well-being. The awareness of mental health and wellbeing issues in societies is increasing. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s report shows the whole of Europe is struggling with the burden of mental ill health, which affects an estimated 84 million people – one in six. The cost to the UK economy is in line with the average for Europe at 4 per cent of GDP (approximately costing £94 billion per year). When having mental health conversations with team members at work, get to know your team members’ baseline, so you can notice when something’s off. A progressive approach to mental health encourages employees to be alert to their own health and to flag concerns and to share their concerns and issues before they become serious. This works best when staff feel they can do this without fear of judgment by colleagues. In turn this can have a positive impact on business performance. For employers not investing in wellbeing initiatives, https://everymindatwork.com/mental_health_employers_duty_of_care/ employers duty of care mental health can be a difficult notion to comprehend. # Worker Well-being The term burnout was originally coined in the 1970s to describe the consequences of ‘severe stress and high ideals’ among the helping professions. These are fields where many feel a high level of moral purpose, a dedication to making a difference and an urge to go above and beyond. This well-intentioned source of motivation can take its toll on a person. Does this sound familiar? Creating a buddy or mentoring system can help someone who is struggling at work. This can be a formal or informal process. Employers are increasingly identifying mental health conditions within their workforce. Historically, action to improve the management of and support for employees with poor mental health was often only taken by employers following an internal or external trigger such as an employee’s mental health incident. The personal cost of mental illness is extensive, from loss of income and debt, (one in four adults with mental health problems are in debt), to wider family challenges. A study by the Centre for Social Justice acknowledges that family breakdown is both a cause and effect of poor mental health. Family relationship challenges may become further exacerbated where loss of income occurs as a result of poor mental health of a primary breadwinner. Social wellbeing is woven into all other aspects of your life. Even though there is a strong relationship between income and perceived standard of living, having strong career and social wellbeing substantially raises perceived standard of living across all income categories. Similarly to any change that happens within organizations, discussions around https://everymindatwork.com/how-to-manage-employees-with-mental-health-issues/ managing employees with mental health issues need planning and implementing properly. Growing evidence supports the links between employee engagement and well-being, resilience and absence, as well as work engagement being associated with higher levels of psychological well-being. The best employers take a proactive approach to their employee’s wellbeing. They understand one simple truth. A happier workforce is a more productive, enthusiastic and loyal workforce. The work environment is known to have a significant impact on employee mental wellness, productivity, job turnover and overall profits. Leaders can influence a healthy workplace environment by having an open-door policy, keeping employees informed of developments, departmental changes, business goals, and policies. These provide direction, build trust, and reduce employee stress. Mental health interventions directly targeting symptoms of depression and anxiety through knowledge and skills building are slightly effective at reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety, but not general mental health. Experience of poor mental health is not an indicator of poor performance, so it is important that employers do not discriminate consciously or unconsciously against people on the basis of prejudiced and unjustified assumptions regarding the employability of people with mental health issues. Discussing ideas such as https://everymindatwork.com/ workplace wellbeing support is good for the staff and the organisation as a whole. # Be Well At Work Like chronic diseases, mental health disorders are treatable, and employers can use comprehensive strategies to cultivate supportive work environments. Isolation, uncertainty and a lack of structure can rapidly drain morale, motivation and productivity while we’re working from home. But with the right blueprint, you can start getting on top of these issues right away. Mental ill health is usually caused by a combination of work- and non-work-related factors: for example, the pressure of ongoing change at work and longer or more intense hours may be exacerbated by financial pressures at home, relationship problems and, given the ageing population, greater caring responsibilities. As an employer, line manager or HR professional it’s crucial you know exactly how to support your people should they be suffering from an anxiety disorder. But, unless you’ve experienced these issues first hand it can be incredibly difficult to understand the condition, let alone know how to give them the right support. In addition to talking about poor mental health, we need to talk more openly about what we can do to nurture our mental health, open up conversations about what it means to experience a positive state of mental well-being, and look after our mental health. Subjects such as https://everymindatwork.com/27-workplace-wellness-ideas/ workplace wellbeing ideas can be tackled by getting the appropriate support in place. The barriers that prevent people with mental health conditions from finding and keeping paid work include people’s own lack of confidence that they can cope with work. A survey by the anti-stigma campaign Time to Change, led by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, found a 7 percentage point rise, since 2009, in people’s willingness to work with someone with a mental health problem (69% to 76%). However, there is still a long way to go as nearly one in ten adults (7%) in England think people with mental health problems shouldn’t have the same rights to a job as anyone else. Promoting the mental wellbeing of employees can yield economic benefits for the business or organisation, in terms of increased commitment and job satisfaction, staff retention, improved productivity and performance, and reduced staff absenteeism. Running wellbeing events, creating space in team meetings and supervisions or appraisals to talk about how everyone is feeling, and ensuring key messages about wellbeing are reinforced throughout the organisation – especially by senior management – all show a genuine commitment to investing in a healthier work environment. Workplace mental wellbeing is at a tipping point, a “magic moment when an idea, trend or social behaviour crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire”. Thinking about concepts such as https://everymindatwork.com/how-to-manage-an-employee-with-anxiety/ how to manage an employee with anxiety is really helpful in a workplace environment.