Feature
Encourage Open Dialogue
In order for mental health to be treated on a par with physical health, we must encourage open dialogue. An employee would have no issue speaking to a manager about a physical injury – we must treat mental wellbeing in the same way.
This is often a long-term change of culture that must be nurtured over time. It also requires investment from senior leaders.
Managers should be encouraged to attend training
courses that focus on soft skills, such as active listening, empathy and compassion. For many people, opening up about a wellbeing issue is a vulnerable moment. If they are not met with the appropriate response, that may be the last time they choose to share.
Employees should be informed of various types of available support through regular internal communications, including emails, newsletters and in face-to-face meetings with supervisors. In fact, something as simple as a manager asking how someone is at the start of a 1-2-1 helps to reinforce that they care. And one day that employee may take the chance to say “Actually, I’m struggling with x and I need help.”
It can help to formalise a strategy through a wellbeing charter. This can lay out to all employees a company’s commitment to mental health, including how to access education and support. This acts as the foundation, but the support should be ever evolving.
Plan, Do, Check, Act
We can’t completely eradicate poor mental health, but we can do our utmost to prevent it with a proactive approach to intervention. A mindset of ‘plan, do, check, act’ will help ensure that support remains relevant and useful.
A proactive approach can include an increased number of workshops, team talks, networking and training, as well as increased use of line manager referrals to an employee assistance programme, mental health support service and occupational health provision.
A business could even develop a psychological safety risk management tool, in much the same way as they already exist for physical safety, or adopt the HES Stress Risk Assessment methodology. Every
extra effort will be
noticed and appreciated by employees and help nurture the culture of mental health support.
For decades the FM sector has been asking itself how it can make the field an attractive one for the younger generation.
Leading the way support would be a great step.
1:
https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/health-and-well-being-2020-report_tcm18-73967.pdf 2:
https://www.bitc.org.uk/wellbeing/
fmuk 29 with mental wellbeing
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