5 min read | 3 February, 2021 By Laura Sands
Now, more than ever, many employees are fighting mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety and depression.
Furlough, job insecurity, homeschooling, money worries and health concerns are piling pressure onto mental health that may have already been fragile. As a manager and a fellow human being, it's important to understand and proactively support colleagues who are struggling.
Before COVID-19 became an issue, 1 in 6 workers experienced problems such as low mood, anxiety and stress.
And with the pandemic and its restrictions affecting people to the extent that 60% of adults feel their mental health worsened as a result of Coronavirus, employers are in a position to help the people who work for them with their mental wellbeing.
Your first step is to make the most of online help and guidance and sign up to an industry-recognised support service. Charities like Time to Change and Mind provide invaluable guidance to mental health sufferers, their families and carers.
These organisations specialise in workplace mental health training and support and are all on the same mission.
It makes sense. Through pledging your commitment, you're creating the foundations for a safe, stigma-free environment, where your employees understand that you believe their health and wellbeing not only matters but comes first.
By committing to take mental health disorders such as anxiety, stress and workplace depression seriously, you'll encourage respect and improve trust from your employees. It takes a great deal of guts to speak up about mental ill-health in the office environment and an even greater bravery to ask for help.
Find out more about how Time to Change and Mind can help you change the stigma.
Great business starts on the inside and it's your people who are fundamental to everyday working and growth. The healthier your team are, the healthier the business. But can you honestly say that you can spot the signs of workplace depressions on an individual basis?
It all starts with understanding your people and team. Create a safe environment and take the time to get to know your employees and you’ll become more alert to shifts in mood or behaviour.
Use HR software to keep track of absence patterns and one-to-one notes and you’ll have an accessible source of information to support your observations.
Don't underestimate the value of an impromptu check-in. For team members who you suspect may struggle, or who have diagnosed conditions, agree to commit to a clear risk assessment system. This helps quickly identify your feelings and potential stressors as well as healthy behaviours you can adopt when the going gets especially tough.
Above all: don't let it get to a red.
The traffic light system is a helpful and easy-to-use tool to help you and your team members stay aware of one another’s mental health so you can act if needed.
Here’s a simple script you could use. "I won't ask you to speak about this again if it makes you uncomfortable, but please know that I'm here to chat if you need. What I do ask though, is for you to promise to never let it get to a red. Think of mental health as a set of traffic lights; there'll be the not-so-bad green days, difficult amber days and then, the destructive red days. Ring me if you're on amber and I can help you from there."
Want to know more about the traffic light system? Here’s a good place to start.
Aim to prevent periods of unnecessary stress by providing support before an issue arises. Create a mental health toolkit with accompanying literature and call a meeting to help your employees know the techniques, tools and coping mechanisms.
Just as you may have had a favourite teacher, you’ve hopefully had at least one key figure who inspired and developed you like no other.
Be the leader you needed when you first started work. And take a minute to think about what that may look like.
Here are the things we believe make a difference:
Committing to regular one-to-ones and encouraging other leaders to do the same.
Sharing what you've learnt from testing experiences with your team. Be sure to demonstrate how perseverance and resilience helped you triumph. Remember, vulnerability makes you human.
Please note - just like the rest of this post - this is not an exhaustive list, moreso a spring board for how to start making positive changes.
Mental health support for employees is a subject with enormous depth. If you're looking for more information on mental health, organisational culture and what you can do as an employer, head over to our Culture Pledge and download the toolkit.
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