Andrew Berrie
Head of Workplace Wellbeing, Mind
Mental health is one of the main causes of workplace sickness in the UK. Helping people stay mentally well should be a priority for every business.
There are many ways people’s mental health can be negatively affected at work, including stress, having poor relations with your colleagues or line manager, or being treated unfairly because of your mental health problem (experiencing stigma).
Line managers can make a real difference
One of the biggest issues is the relationship between employees and line managers. Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Index demonstrates a clear correlation between the mental health of employees who have effective relationships with their line manager and those who do not.
As such, line managers need to ensure they are fostering effective, professional relationships with their line reports. Ensuring team members are clear about what is expected of them and supported in the delivery of their work is key.
One of the biggest issues is the relationship
between employees and line managers.
What can managers do for staff?
The first step is for managers to ask the member of staff how they can support them. Adjustments need not be expensive, typically they might include flexible hours or changes of start or finish time; change of workspace; return-to-work policies such as a phased return; changes to their role (temporary or permanent); changes to break times; increased support from managers in prioritising and managing workload; or provision of quiet rooms.
Being empathetic and person-centred is vital, including having one-to-one conversations with employees to understand how they best perform at work and how managers can best support them to excel. Our Wellness Action Plans – available for free from Mind’s website – can be a useful starting point to facilitate discussions between managers and their direct reports.
Change the mental wellbeing culture
We want employers to see promoting good mental health as more than a legal obligation, but part of being a responsible employer and sending a message to staff that they are valued and appreciated.
Changing the negative culture around mental health and tackling the causes of stress and poor mental health at work will benefit all staff — whether they have a diagnosed mental health problem or not.