How well are your staff coping at this time?
Are you confident you are meeting your ‘Duty of Care’ obligations as an employer?
Mental Health is such a prevalent topic and never more so than when faced with a global crisis. I wonder what the lasting effects this tumultuous year will have on people’s long-term mental wellbeing?
With an estimated 10 million Key Workers in the UK, who have carried on like absolute troopers during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is no wonder people are feeling the effects of stress, burnout, and exhaustion. For some, these last 12 months have been nothing but relentless and for others, it has had a serious detrimental impact on their Mental Health and Wellbeing.
For you, as the employer, with a moral and legal duty of care to take reasonable steps to prevent employees from suffering from mental health issues at work, it has been a tough 12 months.
How do you maintain a ‘Duty of Care’ to staff, whilst trying to manage performance and keep your business running effectively?
This article provides 4 Top Tips on what practical steps you can take to support your employees’ Mental Health and Wellbeing at this time.
1. Provide a Safe Space
Since the start of the pandemic, NHS Trusts have been setting up ‘Wobble Rooms’ in hospitals to give Key Workers the space to take time out away from the hectic wards. Wobble Rooms are designed to provide that ‘Safe Space’ when the pressures and stresses of dealing with COVID-19 become too much. What a great Health and Wellbeing Initiative!
Sometimes all we need when feeling stressed or overwhelmed is a quiet place to go when things get all too much. Creating a safe space within the workplace, where staff can take a quiet moment, clear their head, have a good cry, and offload to a trusted colleague can provide that much-needed escapism. Just the opportunity to have a breather can enable staff to bounce back quicker and return to performing their duties.
QUESTION – Have you got provisions in place to provide that ‘Safe Space’ for staff to go when things get too much?
2. Regular Check-in with Staff
Good Mental Health and effective People Management go hand in hand! Providing employees with the opportunity to a regular 1-1 with their line manager is key to promoting good Health and Wellbeing at Work.
It might sound simple but asking ‘How are you?‘, ‘Are you Okay today?,’ ‘What can I do to help?’ will demonstrate to your staff that they truly matter, that they are not alone and someone genuinely cares. If you watched the recent BBC documentary, Roman Kemp – Our Silent Emergency advocates asking these types of questions more than once. He received many social media messages from viewers saying that the advice to ask a second time, how a friend or loved one is enabled openness and sharing of personal struggles.
Ensure your managers are equipped with the necessary skills to effectively hold meaningful conversations with team members. Skills such as active listening, coaching, questioning, feedback and the ability to show genuine empathy when required are essential for managers to possess.
QUESTION – How confident are you that your managers have the skills and ability to effectively manage the Mental Health and wellbeing of their team members?
3. Signpost Staff
Of course, in addition to day to day communication with team members, line managers also need to be able to identify signs of when an employee needs external help and support.
Being clear on where to signpost managers and staff to get that additional support is key so you may want to create a toolkit of resources as a means to signpost to:
- Internal Mental Health First Aiders – identify and train individuals to be subject matter experts in this field
- Introduce an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) into the business, providing employees with a confidential helpline
- Refer to the Government Mental Health Website for Advice
- Other external support such as Samaritans
- Resources and guidance from MIND
QUESTION – What toolkit do you have at your disposal for employees to tap into the additional resources as and when they require?
4. Breakdown barriers and stigma of Mental Health in your Business
When will Mental Health be viewed in the same way as Physical Health?
We all know from stories told by parents and grandparents that this resonates with us all “In my day it wasn’t the ‘done thing’ to talk about one’s feelings and emotions!”
People must have historically suffered in silence, too embarrassed, ashamed, and vulnerable to disclose that they weren’t coping with life. However, if Covid has given us one silver lining, it has brought Mental Health to the forefront of people’s minds and hopefully is going some way to breaking down those barriers.
Employers can play an active part normalising Mental Health in the Workplace, by:
- Being advocates for improving Mental Health in the Workplace
- Committing to breading a culture built on trust and openness
- Challenging and managing unacceptable behaviours
- Introducing a Policy to non-tolerance of Bullying and Harassment
- Encouraging staff to talk about their own mental health experiences without fear of being judged or discriminated against.
QUESTION – What is the culture like in your Company? How would your employees describe it? Are you doing everything you can to support those vulnerable to Mental Health Issues?
Practical steps to improve Mental Health & Wellbeing at Work
- Remove the workplace stigma that resides with Mental Health by creating a culture rich in trust and openness.
- Upskill line managers and equip them with the knowledge and capabilities to effectively support employees’ Mental Health.
- Introduce Mental Health First Aiders into the Workplace as trusted, subject matter experts who can provide additional support and resource to the business.
- Create a Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which focus on reducing absenteeism by prevention rather than intervention.
- Wellbeing initiatives can include things such as:
- Medical Cashback Plans
- Programmes of Workplace Wellbeing Sessions, such as Yoga, Relaxation, Meditation Classes
- Educating people on Healthy Eating
- Discounts on Sports and Fitness Memberships
- Promoting Flexible Working
Looking to implement a Health and Wellbeing Strategy focused on prevention rather than intervention? Need specific HR advice on how to best manage an employment situation? Want to upskill line managers? Feel free to reach out via [email protected] or book a meeting.
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