Guide to mental health support and awareness

Mental health in the workplace has been an increasingly popular topic for employers in recent time. Mental health problems affect 1 in 4 people, so the likelihood is that people within your organisation are affected. Ensuring that you offer meaningful support, tackle stigma and respond to people's needs can ensure that you look after, retain and value your workforce.

Here are some of the basics that you should consider to ensure that your organisation is responding well to people experiencing mental health problems.

Create a policy

A mental health policy is a key part of embracing positive mental health at work. By confirming your commitment in writing, organisations will be able to reduce any stigma around the matter and help place mental health on an equal footing with physical health at work. Policies could include:

• who staff can disclose any mental health issues to, and what will happen when they do
• what kind of reasonable adjustments can be made, particularly where someone's mental health problem is considered a disability
• what support your organisation offers around mental health (including things like whether your organisation offers access to an employee assistance programme)
• how your organisation will tackle stigma, bullying and discrimination
• steps your organisation takes to promote good mental health and wellbeing.

A good policy should communicate to employees that they are respected and welcomed, that it is safe for them to disclose mental health problems if they wish to, and that they will be supported if needed.

Training for line managers

Employees should feel able to speak to their managers about mental health, but this also means that managers should feel confident in how they'll respond. This may mean ensuring they have training and support to build their skills and confidence.

Training could include:

• Dealing sensitively with disclosures of mental health problems
• Spotting signs that an employee is unwell, and responding appropriately
• Knowing when to escalate concerns around wellbeing or safeguarding
• General mental health knowledge and awareness
• Creating mentally healthy workplaces.

Mental health first aiders

To add another layer of support organisations could look to arrange for certain individuals to become qualified mental health first aiders. Although it is not a legal requirement, there have been increased calls to make mental health first aiders mandatory in the workplace in the near future. Whilst organisations would be free to offer this training to all staff, some may wish to reserve this for HR personnel or Employee representatives who are often viewed as impartial and supportive figures by staff members.

See the value in wellbeing and mental health support

Rather than thinking about how to manage or deal with mental health, it can be really positive for employers to proactively think about mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. Considering the wellbeing of staff can have a positive impact on productivity and staff retention, and can be part of making your organisation an attractive place to work. In your organisation, this might feel like quite a big culture shift so think of small steps you can take - supporting public mental health initiatives like Mental Health Awareness Week, fundraising for a mental health charity with staff, making time for wellbeing activities and encouraging open conversations about mental health.