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noticing a change in behaviour; some people work harder, others arrive late, underperform, or are irritable or withdrawn. The Cardinal Clinic is pushing hard for companies to bring mental health strategies into the workplace. It can be difficult unless the people at the top support them. For example, if the CEO does yoga sessions to de-stress then others are more likely to follow their example.”
Cathy Wilkins
Wilson: “You’ve got to have buy-in across the business. If your HR managers don’t believe in the benefits they might not support the cost of taking action.”
Cost of doing nothing
It’s not just absenteeism that costs businesses money; presenteeism that causes stress can also lead to time off work. Productivity and reputation can be damaged if businesses have a poor approach to tackling mental health.
Nick Wilson
Davis said: “You’ve got to tailor your messages about the benefits of taking action on mental health: for HR their priority might be about attracting and retaining people; for the CEO it maybe about shareholder value and reputation for your CSR team it’s about telling a positive story in the annual report. Don’t be afraid to use your full toolkit of arguments to get traction in the mental health debate.”
Wilson: “Nowadays, salary isn’t always the number one reason for deciding who you work for. Health and wellbeing are coming to the fore. Job interviewees are becoming the interviewer: they want to know how you are going to look after them.”
Gary Swanwick
Holland noted: “Employees need to know they have a purpose and meaning in their jobs. You need to offer that to attract people.”
Swanwick agreed: “Having a purpose is important. If people feel they are involved and are making a positive impact, that definitely helps.”
Positive actions
The panel discussed measures that can help alleviate mental health problems, which generally focus on early detection.
EY’s mental health network organises webinars, as well as offering advice on mental health care pathways. “We have a buddy system for people returning to work where we pair them with someone who has gone through a similar experience,” said Wilkins.
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Bird said: “We run a buddy system with mentors who volunteer for the role. It’s seen as a good thing for your career to offer to be a mentor.”
Davis noted that an organisation the size of Royal Mail offers a lot of assistance and counseling, but SMEs can find it tougher to provide support. Wilson emphasised that action doesn’t have to cost a fortune. “You can set up a quiet room, offer yoga at your desk or guided meditation sessions. But some businesses don’t want to do anything because they fear that talking about mental health could open a can of worms, so they find it easier to say they don’t have a problem,” he said
Swanwick agreed: “There are also small things you can do, like saying to people ‘take a lunch break and take it away from your desk’, or encouraging people to leave work on time. These ideas have to be promoted from the top or people might not follow them.”
The Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) scheme is an important initiative that businesses are taking up. EY and Royal Mail are rolling it out and Working Minds Matter supports it. “I’m a qualified MHFA trainer. It’s becoming more popular and needs more promotion. It’s a way for companies to think outside the box,” said Wilson.
Davis added: “We are training our physical first aiders in MHFA. We have about 2,500 MHFA people, as well as around 150 mental health ambassadors who act as mentors. This initiative is being driven from the top, by our chief executive Moya Greene, which sets the tone for how important it is.”
How far should you go in helping?
Companies need to think carefully about how much help they can give employees and to know their limits, suggested Carroll. “People can be really good helping with mental health issues, but you have to know your capabilities and if something is beyond what you’re capable of then you should know where to go next,” he said. “Issues like bipolar disorder and OCD are particularly hard to deal with in the workplace.”
Davis said: “Our mental health ambassadors wear badges to identify them, so employees know they can start a conversation with without feeling embarrassed. It gives employees the confidence to seek help if they need it. Often, a situation can look worse before it looks better – you sometimes have to hold your nerve and not back away from helping.”
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – JULY/AUGUST 2018
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