Mental health matters in business – here’s how to manage it

You’ve probably heard a lot about mindfulness, but what can it do for your business, and how can it help your team perform to their best abilities?

It’s a well-established fact that people who are stressed don’t perform as effectively, so it’s in your best interest to make sure your team are as healthy and happy as possible. In fact, evidence suggests that 12.7% of all sickness absence days in the UK can be attributed to mental health conditions.

So how can your business support the health (both mental and physical) and wellbeing of your team? And how can you spot in advance when action might need to be taken?

Mental health shouldn’t be a taboo subject, and an environment where people feel they can’t speak openly and honestly about such things only seeks to make the problem worse.

Fostering an environment where your team feel comfortable enough to discuss how they are feeling, and one where they feel valued and understood will, in some cases, alleviate the problem before it begins.

Let’s consider some options:

Workplace training

Do you or your line managers know what to do if a team member comes to you with a mental health problem? Or do you know how to spot the signs of one if they aren’t presenting it to you? If the answer to this is no, then think about what you can put in place to make sure you’re as educated as possible. Consider management training, to give your line managers the tools they need to adequately, and accurately provide the best assistance needed.

The UK spend £10.6bn a year on staff being out of work due to sickness, as well as £21.2bn in reduced productivity. Investing in workplace training could give you a large saving in the long run.

Assessments

There are many companies that, alongside training, will provide assessments for your current team. Using questionnaires and activities can help you ascertain any current issues that might be affecting your team, and address them.

Promote a healthy environment

Mental health in the workplace begins with you. By embedding mental wellness as a key part of your culture you’re empowering people to take control of their own mental wellbeing, and feel open about discussing issues when they may arise.

Think about…

• Work / life balance – Are you making sure your team are striking the right balance? Make sure they’re switching off when they should be and feel empowered enough to focus on what is most important to them in any given moment. 
• Keeping time – Are people leaving on time or regularly staying late? Staying late should be the exception not the norm. 
• Workload – Do people have the right amount of work? Are you seeing them struggle to complete all their tasks? 
• Team activities – Do you plan activities for your team outside of work? Think about holding activities such as games, outings, and fun days. 

Chew on this:

Is there anyone in your business who could lead on and promote the wellbeing agenda in your business?