Whilst creating posts, I am forever studying Mental Health In The Workplace Schemes and topics relevant to this.
Mental health problems can cause stress. Someone might find coping with the day-to-day symptoms of a mental health problem, as well as potentially needing to manage medication, healthcare appointments or treatments, can become extra sources of stress. Systematic wellbeing means putting data at the heart of this - to continuously measure and analyse to inform decision making, to reduce wellbeing risks and to drive better ROI. Throughout time, people have co-opted and loosely used certain phrases sprouted from mental illness terminology to either explain how they’re feeling or to place judgement on something that has happened, or how someone has acted that they may not understand fully. A consequence of a busy work life is that your work life balance suffers and so does your health. You may experience a feeling of overwhelm, stress or depression. This then affects your work and home life. You may make mistakes, become unproductive, over react to issues and have difficulty with relationships. From addressing productivity and presenteeism to creating a culture of care, introducing or refreshing workplace wellbeing policy in line with a whole organisation approach can have huge benefits. Whilst it might seem as though looking after employee health is all about reducing possible negative impact on the bottom line, it’s also about having a positive one. 
Improving the physical environment at work and publicising available support pathways, such as Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) or occupational health (OH) can help tackle the causes of mental health problems. Mental health issues run the gamut, from anxiety and depression to eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. They can affect a person’s perceptions, thoughts, moods, and behaviors. Something as standard as getting out of bed, showered, dressed and in to the office on time can feel monumentally difficult for someone who's in the depths of a depressive episode. What's worse, is that - chances are - they're reluctant to talk about it for fear of 'keeping up appearances'. Rather sadly, it is these exact types of behaviours that lead management to believe that they are unprofessional and lazy. Addressing mental health problems at a large scale calls for a certain amount of sensitivity and nuance. Everyone must be made aware of the availability of resources, and employees should be actively encouraged to take breaks if and when they need them. Most importantly, the language used should work towards destigmatizing mental health issues, and should avoid using terms that may be exclusionary, or act as triggers. An opinion on employers duty of care mental health is undoubtebly to be had in every workplace in the country.
The labour market should include everyone who wants to be a part of it, and recognise and address challenges before they become toxic. Nearly 1.2 million people in England are in contact with secondary mental health services. Only 10%–16% of people with a mental health condition are in paid employment of more than 16 hours a week, and just 3.4% of people with more serious mental conditions. Employers used to focus on health benefits when talking about employee wellbeing. Nowadays, we know that employee wellbeing is more than just absence of illness among employees. Stress and other mental health problems are the second biggest cause of work absence, accounting for 70 million lost working days every year. Age and gender both have an impact on the likelihood of an employee suffering poor mental health. Women generally feel more comfortable talking about their health with colleagues, and as line managers to their employees. Communication that emphasizes that leadership cares about concepts such as how to manage an employee with anxiety should be welcomed in the working environment.
Companies can host seminars or workshops that address depression and stress management techniques, like mindfulness, breathing exercises, and meditation, to help employees reduce anxiety and stress and improve focus and motivation. Clinical screenings from mental health professionals that provide feedback and clinical referrals when appropriate. The effort of seeking evaluation and treatment can otherwise be a barrier. Many organizations already recognize the value in supporting their workers’ mental health through their employee benefits. More than eight in ten employees say their employers provide at least one mental health offering, according to a report commissioned by the American Heart Association. But those same employees also said they wished their employers did more. Companies who ignore emotional health do more than put their employees’ mental well-being at risk. If stressed, unhappy employees spread negativity throughout the organization, companies may find their complacency over their employees’ emotional health also puts their business at risk. What affects employees outside the workplace can affect them in it, too; it’s inevitable. Don't forget to send out proper internal communications around workplace wellbeing support in your organisation.
Research suggests that creating a positive work environment and promoting and supporting a mentally healthy workforce results in increased productivity rates, increased economic contributions and completion of higher-quality work. Work-life balance is an absolute priority and employers have strategies in place to ensure their people are achieving this. The average working week in Denmark, across industries and job roles, is 37 hours and overtime is actively discouraged. We all come to the topic of mental health with our own ideas and exposure levels. You will have your own experience of mental health or mental illness, and your own motivation for why you want to learn more about the topic. Perhaps your interest in the subject has been sparked by your own experience of clinical depression or intense, long-standing stress at work. All employers can and should promote effective people management to ensure all employees have a regular conversation about their health and well-being with their line manager, supervisor or organisational leader and train and support line managers and supervisors in effective management practices. When you feel good mentally and emotionally, you approach your job with good mental health. You’re adaptable, flexible, and resilient. You are able to handle challenges. Your contributions to your team are meaningful, and you thrive in your personal and professional life. Organisations can make sure their employee benefits package provides support for managing employees with mental health issues today.
Talk about your mental health at work if you are struggling, and do your part to reshape the narrative, inspiring peers and potentially even managers to do the same. oo many employees leave the labour market unnecessarily due to ill mental health. This can affect the individual’s wellbeing, their family, their friends and the community. The workplace culture and systems of work are critical to supporting employees with mental health conditions - helping them to stay at work, or return to work quickly, and participate in meaningful and productive duties. According to a study by Deloitte, 72 percent of workplaces have no mental health policy – the major reason for this being that mental health policies are often hastily born out of reaction to internal incidents or negative experiences within the organization, rather than already existing as a proactive and preventative measure. The workplace is really just an adult playground. We’re all older, but it’s very much the same. We all have a common space we’re in (whether it’s physical or virtual), relationships to maintain, toys to share, a king or queen of the jungle gym, and people who don’t play nicely with others. When we think about this in the context of work, all of these affect the psychological safety we feel at work, and feed into our comfort or discomfort to share about mental health at work. Encourage employees to make a habit of taking a walk or getting fresh air when they’re overwhelmed. Exercise is an excellent remedy for feeling overwhelmed and suffering from stress. A change of scenery can also help produce fresh ideas and lead to efficient problem solving, further reducing stress. For employers not investing in wellbeing initiatives, workplace wellbeing ideas can be a difficult notion to comprehend.
Sometimes our work worries can start to take over. We can be physically present with our friends and family, but in reality we’re distant and distracted by the pressure of things going on at work. If your workload is too heavy or you’re having trouble managing an aspect of your work, try talking to your manager or colleague early to sort things out as they arise. If you have concerns about your mental health, always seek help early. Designing break out areas and coworking spaces to inspire communication can further improve productivity levels in your office. These spaces encourage idea sharing and teamwork to promote positive work relationships. An open plan office keeps lines of communication open and supports information sharing between teams. Every organisation is different, however there are many steps, most of them free, that can improve mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. The key is to be adaptable, flexible, and experiment with different ideas until you find a tailored strategy that can evolve as your staff and organisation change too. You can discover more details relating to Mental Health In The Workplace Schemes in this World Health Organisation entry.
