MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING
take into account the lingering impact of Covid-19, which has affected many families in devastating ways. You should also consider factors such as menopause and perimenopause, which can also be key causes of poor mental health.
The cost-of-living crisis The cost-of-living crisis is affecting everyone in the country, with rising bills, interest rates and childcare fees affecting all but the richest people’s ability to pay their rent or mortgage. Even if the company is not in a position to increase salaries, you should be considering how to support staff in ways that keep them in work, as the threat of lost salary will add increased strain to already high-pressure environments.
The risk of burnout Another consequence of the current climate is that many people are being asked to do more for less – and this needs to be moving the other way. There must be an agreement from senior management downwards that staff should be encouraged not to work past their working hours and send late emails, and should feel able to leave on time and take their allocated lunch breaks, otherwise burnout will be inevitable.
“FAILING TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT THAT ADDRESSES THE UNDERLYING REASONS AS TO WHY PEOPLE ARE UNHAPPY WILL LEAD TO A RISE IN WORK-RELATED STRESS AND SICK LEAVE.”
Research carried out for Lanes Group’s whitepaper The Current State Of Mental Wellbeing In UK Workplaces offered further evidence of these trends. Our survey of more than 1,000 working adults showed that 80% of respondents are regularly required to work outside of their contracted hours, while 22% have had to take time off work due to stress during their careers.
https://careers.lanesgroup.com/resources/download-mental-wellbeing-uk-whitepaper
Many people feel huge pressure to do their job well, for fear of losing it, while managing their families at the same time. This can lead to distractions and an inability to cope with work pressures, resulting in absences for work-related stress, which helps nobody. This is why conflict resolution and wellbeing support meetings with managers and staff are needed address these concerns in a positive way for both parties.
EXAMPLES OF NEW SUPPORT STRATEGIES By bearing these factors in mind, businesses can
develop new mental health policies that address the large and small-scale issues that affect staff wellbeing. As one of the UK’s largest employers in the utilities sector, Lanes Group takes a proactive approach to developing new mental health policies; here, we share some examples of effective strategies:
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• Offer access to in-house wellbeing support, including mental health first aiders and talking therapies, allowing people to set wellness and fitness goals as part of their everyday focus.
• Provide training to managers and team leaders on how to have difficult and sensitive conversations, with a focus on psychological safety and proactive support for people with potentially complex mental health needs. This can include creating wellness action plans and crisis cards where applicable.
• Organise a range of activities, group projects and team events across the year to recognise important festivals and days of celebration for people of all religions, cultures and identities.
• Arrange wellbeing days, events and outdoor activities such as open-water swimming, meditation sessions and charity events to encourage team- building and bonding.
• Create a wellbeing forum for the whole business to encourage workers to share their diverse needs and bring new ideas to the table, making sure to include non-core staff and remote workers who may otherwise feel isolated.
It is essential that businesses consider mental health as part of their regular health and safety risk assessments. When people are feeling both mentally and physically well, they are more able to work safely, and less likely to make mistakes or have an accident.
“THE KEY TO DELIVERING GOOD MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT IS CREATING A FULLY COMPREHENSIVE WELLBEING STRATEGY THAT CATERS FOR ALL.”
By developing policies that assess every worker as an individual and provide them with what they need to succeed, you can ensure that all your staff members feel properly supported in the workplace and able to do their very best work.
https://careers.lanesgroup.com 27
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