\u00a0<\/i> Common Work-Related Mental Health Issues<\/h2>\n
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The first step to addressing the problems that mental health issues can cause both employers and staff, is to know what to look for. Both work-related stress and mental health issues can aggravate each other, and the symptoms can be very similar. This can make it hard for employers and colleagues to notice problems. Some of the most common mental health problems caused by the workplace include:<\/p>\n
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- Stress<\/strong>, which can be a reaction to the work environment, experiences at work, or to the behaviour of other colleagues. Causes include workplace bullying, extreme workloads, and tight deadlines. Often, stress can be made worse by a mixture of work-related and personal issues, as they both serve to exasperate each other.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- Presenteeism<\/strong>, which is when employees find it difficult to give themselves a break. This generally translates into coming into work even though they’re sick, not taking breaks, overworking themselves, and being unable to stop working (or thinking about work) outside of working hours.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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\u00a0<\/i> Why Mental Health Matters to Employers<\/h2>\n
\nAccording to the\u00a0Mental Health Foundation<\/a>, around 12.7% of all sick days are a direct result of a mental health condition. What’s more, women are nearly twice as likely to have mental health issues compared to men. Businesses in the UK could save around \u00a38 billion every year if these issues were better addressed – no small amount. Research by the Mental Health Foundation also suggested the following savings could be made by businesses:<\/p>\n
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- A company of 500 employees that invested \u00a320,676 in workplace intervention and screening would see an increase in net profit by \u00a383,278 over the next two years.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- Investing around \u00a380 in advice, risk assessment and workshops, as well as general well-being materials per employee per year, would result in a net return in savings of almost \u00a3350,000.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Additionally, the mental health charity Mind’s research<\/a>\u00a0concluded that:<\/p>\n
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- 21% of staff admitted they called in sick to avoid work when feeling stressed.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- 30% felt they couldn’t talk openly about feeling stressed.<\/span><\/li>\n
- 42% of staff had considered leaving their job in direct relation to workplace stress.<\/span><\/li>\n
- 14% resigned as a direct result of stress.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This makes it very clear that mental health is just as crucial as physical health to any workforce. The simple fact is that troubled or unwell employees are just not going to be productive. They’re also not going to be very good ambassadors for a business. We’ve all encountered people who are severely stressed as a result of work, or suffer anxiety as a result of their workplace. All this does is paint a company in a bad light. It could very easily mean a business misses out on attracting top-level talent as a result, too.<\/p>\n
The good news is that over half (56%) of employers that took part in Mind’s research also said they wanted to do more to help staff wellbeing. The problem is that many businesses don’t feel they have the training or correct guidance to do this. It’s worth noting that Mind does have a\u00a0comprehensive list of resources<\/a>\u00a0for companies that want to improve their employee wellbeing strategies.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0<\/i> Addressing Mental Health at Work<\/h2>\n
\nAs we’ve touched upon above, there are several ways companies can address and potentially limit the negative impacts of mental health issues at work:<\/p>\n
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- Foster a communicative and supportive workplace.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Invest in risk assessment procedures, written resources, workshops, and seminars.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Create an inclusive workplace culture.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The list above isn’t exhaustive, of course, and there are many other ways that businesses can engage with, and ultimately help, their employees. Ultimately, everyone in the workplace needs to feel they can openly converse with anyone, especially managerial or designated HR staff, about both work and life matters – without fear of employment-related ramifications, or personal judgement.<\/p>\n
It’s arguably more important than ever that UK businesses start doing more to mobilise in the face of mental health issues too, for a variety of reasons.<\/p>\n
- Invest in risk assessment procedures, written resources, workshops, and seminars.<\/span><\/li>\n
- 30% felt they couldn’t talk openly about feeling stressed.<\/span><\/li>\n
- 21% of staff admitted they called in sick to avoid work when feeling stressed.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Investing around \u00a380 in advice, risk assessment and workshops, as well as general well-being materials per employee per year, would result in a net return in savings of almost \u00a3350,000.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- A company of 500 employees that invested \u00a320,676 in workplace intervention and screening would see an increase in net profit by \u00a383,278 over the next two years.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Presenteeism<\/strong>, which is when employees find it difficult to give themselves a break. This generally translates into coming into work even though they’re sick, not taking breaks, overworking themselves, and being unable to stop working (or thinking about work) outside of working hours.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n