• Mental health issues have a tremendous impact on people’s lives, families and friends but also have a severe effect on our businesses and organisations.

    Depression alone affects more than 264 million people world-wide and most of them are still working (World Health Organisation, 2019).

    As an example, the UK data is quite alarming:

     

    • 1 in 7 people have experienced mental health problems in the workplace (Lelliot et al., 2008).
    • 13% of all sickness absence days in the UK can be attributed to mental health conditions (ONS, 2014).
    • Full-time employed women are nearly twice as likely to have a common mental health problem as full-time employed men (Stansfeld et al., 2016).

  • Even so, mental health still remains a massive taboo and there is plenty of toxic shame to go with it, especially among older people. But suffering from a mental disorder is extremely debilitating and alienating, and our medieval taboos should finally be laid to rest.

    The risks are too high to ignore the situation any longer. People with mental health issues need support from their family, their friends and their community. And the workplace is part of that community.

    So, it’s time to take action and face the problem, especially in the workplace.

    According to one survey, 72% of employees want their companies to support mental health and well-being by creating or increasing mental health programmes in the workplace. (Peldon Rose, 2018)

    However, companies and organisations are still being slow to act. We need more programmes, more effective plans and more encouragement to follow them.

    From my experience, working with many of the largest organisations in the world, very often companies do have programmes, however in a practical sense they’re ineffective. Many of the clients I work with are just too afraid or ashamed to use those programmes. They fear strong negative bias against mental illness, and the potential consequences on their pay and promotion.

  • A few years ago, I surveyed over one hundred business leaders and asked them whether they or anyone in their team needed external support for any particular reason. All of them, without exception, said Yes, someone in their team required help. But it was never themselves! So I believe self-awareness is clearly still a significant issue too.

    Mental health awareness and in-house programmes should be mandatory in organisations large and small and I’ll explain why it’s simply good for business.

    The Business Case: Significant Financial Savings & Massive ROI!

    Consider how many work days a person affected by any mental health might lose because of their illness. Analysis suggests better mental health support in the workplace could save UK businesses alone up to £8 billion a year (Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, 2009).

    Furthermore, research shows that for every $1 invested in treatments for common mental disorders, they receive a return in improved health and productivity (World Health Organisation, 2019).

    Where else are you finding a 400% ROI?!

    Want to make sure that mental health is taken seriously in your company? Start with my 3 simple tips!

  • 1. Train Leadership

    If you want to make sure all your employees’ mental health needs are taken good care of, you need to start from the leadership. Whenever I’m asked to do a workshop on Resilience, Stress, Burnout or Well-Being the first thing I ask is ‘Who is the organisational Sponsor?’ to understand really to what degree the organisation cares. If someone high enough up doesn’t really care, it's not usually going to have sufficient teeth.

  • 2. Encourage Balance

    Work-Life Balance is fundamental for happiness and wellbeing. Read my full article here on how to promote balance in your life and organisation. [CLICK HERE]

  • 3. Update Your Values

    Companies need clear mental health policies to protect and promote good quality mental health, and prevent discrimination, harassment and bullying. Write it down in your company statement and stick to it    

  • Ready to create a healthier working environment?

    Have a great day,

     

    Andrew