If employees feel they can talk openly about mental health, problems are less likely to build up. This could lead to:
- less time off for poor mental health
- improved morale at work
As an employer, you should create an environment where your employees feel able to talk openly about mental health.
For example, you should:
- make sure managers model positive wellbeing behaviours and use their voice to challenge stigma
- make sure employees have regular meetings with their managers, to talk about any problems they're having
- provide resources to support open conversations about mental health
- increase awareness of mental health through training and campaigns
- appoint mental health 'champions' who are trained to listen and tell staff where to get support
Being a supportive manager
As a manager, you should be approachable, available and encourage team members to talk to you if they're having problems.
Your management style should suit the needs of each person. For example, if someone is working from home you could ask them if they prefer to talk over the phone, through video meetings or by email.
You should keep in regular contact with your team to check how they're coping.
You should check:
- how they're feeling
- how their work is going and if they need support
- if they have the right set up if they work from home
Find out more about mental health support and training
Getting support for yourself
You might find that you need advice and support for your own mental health. For example, you might be under more pressure than usual to support your team and resolve problems.
It might help to talk things through with someone who can support you, for example:
- your own manager
- someone else at work
- a mental health 'champion' or network at work
- a counsellor, if you can access one through work
If your organisation offers counselling, it'll usually be through a scheme known as an employee assistance programme (EAP).
Understanding mental health in your organisation
As an employer, you should talk to managers to understand how their teams are doing. You should find out which resources are helpful and if they need any more support.
If there is an online channel where employees share updates, it might be useful to regularly check it. This could help you understand employees' concerns and areas where they need more support.
You could also use wellbeing surveys to understand:
- how your employees are feeling at work
- where the sources of stress are
Training managers
You should train managers to:
- talk and listen sensitively
- have knowledge of mental health
- know what support and guidance the organisation can offer
Training managers can give staff more confidence to talk about how their mental health affects their work.
You should train all managers, supervisors and team leaders to make sure they understand:
- how the law relates to mental health at work
- how to talk with and encourage staff to raise any mental health concerns
- what support and workplace changes are available to staff – for example if someone needs a quieter place to work in an open plan office
- how to deal with mental health sensitively and fairly
Acas provides training on mental health in the workplace.
Trade union representatives
Trade unions and other employee representatives can help you promote positive mental health.
Trade union representatives are usually:
- trained by their union on mental health
- more willing to share concerns than employees might be
- aware of issues that could cause mental health problems
- able to work with you to promote the support and resources available to employees