mind.org.uk

Mental health at work: creating a positive cultureEmma Mamo, Head of Workplace Wellbeing

We give advice and support

Through our network of local services, we reach over 400,000 people each year

We offer:

- Counselling - Debt advice

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- Supported housing - Advocacy

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We listen and understand

Our online peer support network has over 10,000 users

Over 6.5 million visits to our website

Our helplines respond to 50,000 calls annually

We speak out

Mental health is everyone’s business

• We all have mental health – it moves up and

down along a spectrum

• 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health

problem in any one year

• Mental ill health is indiscriminate – it can affect

anyone

• By 2020, depression will be the second most

common cause of ill health worldwide

But people don’t talk about it

• A major cause of stigma and prejudice is that

people don’t talk about it

• 9 out of 10 people who experience mental

health problems say they face stigma and

discrimination as a result

• Stigma can be worse than the symptoms

themselves

• Time to Change is England’s biggest

programme to challenge mental health stigma

and discrimination

Silence around issue

Wider

society

Scared to reveal problem Lack of knowledge

Scared to raise the issue

Silence around issue

Increases perception of stigma

Those with

mental health

problemsStigma

Attitudes are improving…

But there is still a long way to go…

Mental health at work

Current picture• Right now 1 in 6 workers is dealing with anxiety,

depression or stress

• Work is the most stressful factor in people’s lives

• 40 per cent of employers view workers with mental health

problems as a ‘significant risk’

• Mental health problems among workers cost the UK

economy over £26 billion every year

Culture of silence• Yet eight in ten employers have no mental health policy to help

staff sustain good mental health

• While stress has forced 1 in 5 workers to call in sick, 95%

have gave a different reason to their boss

• Managers want to do more to improve staff mental wellbeing

but they need more training and guidance

• Staff would feel more loyal and committed if their employer

took action on staff wellbeing

• So employers need to take the first step and make it a priority

Where do we need to get to?

• Our goal is to mainstream good mental health and make it

core business for all employers

• Everyone is supported to have good mental health at

work, no matter where they are on the spectrum

• People get appropriate support when they are

experiencing a mental health problem

“Open and supportive workplaces benefit everyone –

employees, employers and the bottom line”

Mental Health Charter

Five actions for the Sport and Recreation sector:

• Use our sport to promote good mental health and

wellbeing

• Adopt good mental health policies and best practices

• Appoint ambassadors and role models

• Tackle discrimination on the grounds of mental health

• Support a pan-sport platform to develop and share

resources and best practice

• Regularly monitor our performance

Mental Health CharterFive actions for the Sport and Recreation sector:

• Use our sport to promote good mental health and

wellbeing

• Adopt good mental health policies and best

practices

• Appoint ambassadors and role models

• Tackle discrimination on the grounds of mental

health

• Support a pan-sport platform to develop and

share resources and best practice

• Regularly monitor our performance

Best practice for employers

A comprehensive mental health strategy will create an open

and supportive working environment

Three-pronged approach

1. Promote wellbeing

2. Tackle work-related mental health problems

3. Support employees with mental health problems

Senior leadership across the

organisation is crucial

Promote wellbeing• Get mental health on the agenda – talk about wellbeing regularly

• Strong leadership – positive, open and clear culture which values staff

• Send a message – leaders support lunch breaks and sensible hours

• Support flexible working where possible

• Promote open dialogue and involve staff in decision-making

• Ensure good, clear communication and develop trust

• Create space for staff to raise issues - home as well as work issues

• Invest in your staff - prioritise learning and development

• Promote physical and social activities

• Encourage peer support and buddy systems

Workplace triggers• Long hours and no breaks

• Unrealistic expectations or deadlines

• High-pressure environments

• Poor working environment

• Unmanageable workloads or lack of control over work

• Negative relationships or poor communication

• Poor managerial support

• Job insecurity or change management

• High-risk roles

• Lone working

Tackling the causes• Routinely take stock of organisation’s mental health and wellbeing

• Think about policies and practices that interact with staff wellbeing

• Ensure line managers are supported and confident on mental health

• Promote a culture of regular one-to-ones – build mental health and

wellbeing into these processes (normalise it)

• Treat people as individuals – line managers should flex their

management style to suit the needs of the staff member and the task

• Provide coaching and on-the-job support

• Organise work efficiently and effectively and clearly communicate

responsibilities and expectations

• Consider the physical environment

• Publicise internal and external support pathways

Supporting employees• A culture needs to be created that enables disclosure

• Develop tailored support for individuals when needed. A useful

tool is developing an Action Plan that covers:

– What keeps you well at work

– Workplace triggers and early warning signs

– Impact of mental health problem on performance

– Steps for the line manager to take

– Steps for the individual to take

• Put in place support measures and workplace adjustments

Support measures and adjustments• Flexible working e.g. change to start/finish time, WFH

• Change of workspace

• Changes to break times

• Changes to role (temporary or permanent)

• Extra support

– Extra help with managing and negotiating workload

– Mentor or ‘buddy’ systems (formal or informal)

– Identifying a ‘safe space’ in the workplace where the person can

have some time out and seek support

– Extra training, coaching or mentoring

– Provide regular opportunities to discuss, review and reflect on

people’s positive achievements

Case study: BT• Level one: promoting wellbeing and preventing

mental distress - advice on intranet and training on soft skills

• Level two: identifying distress and intervening early to prevent escalation - online stress risk assessment for employees and training for managers

• Level three: range of support and treatments for people experiencing mental health problems –employee and manager produces an ‘advance directive’, identifying early warning signs and a plan of action and support

Case study: Lend Lease• Public Health Responsibility Deal - created a specific

pledge for construction industry

– 111 organisations have signed up benefiting 400,000

people

• Founding member of the City Mental Health Alliance

• Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course - over 100

employees trained

• MHFA Lite course - all managers and supervisors

encouraged to attend

• Sharing best practice globally

Case study: Comic Relief• Mental health and wellbeing policy

• Training for managers – how to support staff

• PTSD training – staff and managers

• Wellbeing Champions – organise activities all year

round

• Counselling service – available 24 hours a day

Scenarios exercise• Scenario one: Discussing mental health

• Scenario two: Decision to disclose

• Scenario three: Responding to disclosure

Scenario one

Feeding back…

How do I know if someone needs support?

• You know the people in your team and you may notice changes in

them.

• However, it’s important to remember everyone’s experience of a

mental health problem is different and there may be no outward sign –

this is why it’s so important to create an environment where people

can be open.

• You should never make assumptions about people’s mental health but

clues might include:

– changes in people’s behaviour or mood or how they interact with colleagues

– changes in their work output, motivation levels and focus

– struggling to make decisions, get organised and find solutions to problems

– appearing tired, anxious or withdrawn and losing interest in activities and tasks they

previously enjoyed

– changes in eating habits, appetite and increased smoking and drinking.

How to have a conversation1. Choose an appropriate place - somewhere private and quiet

2. Encourage people to talk - ask simple, open and non-judgmental

questions

3. Don’t make assumptions - don’t try to guess

4. Listen to people and respond flexibly - adapt your support to suit the

individual

5. Be honest and clear - address specific grounds for concern at an

early stage

6. Ensure confidentiality

7. Develop an action plan

8. Encourage people to seek advice and support

9. Seek advice and support yourself

10. Reassure people - people may not always be ready to

talk straight away

Scenario two

Feeding back…

Deciding to disclose

• There is significant stigma attached to mental health

problems so it is understandable that people may be

reticent to disclose to an employer

• There are legal protections in place to try to prevent

employers from discriminating against people who

disclose a mental health problem at work

• Disclosing a mental health problem can make it much

easier to manage it at work

Scenario three

Feeding back…

Responding to disclosure

• Avoid making assumptions – ignore stereotypes

about mental health and do not guess symptoms and

impact

• Manage communication – sensitive personal

information

• Respond flexibly – agree on tailored system of

support

• Wellness Action Plans (WAPs) are a useful tool

• Seek advice if you need to – Mind, local Minds,

health professionals, EAP, Occupational Health…

Top tips at work• Take your lunch break and get some fresh air

• Be honest if expectations are unrealistic

• Make the most of supervisions and one-to-ones

• Reflect on your achievements each day

• Talk to colleagues, friends and family

If you are feeling overwhelmed…

• Learn some relaxation techniques

• Take a deep breath and some time out

• Communicate if you need help

Having a work/life balanceAre you often the last to leave work? Do you do extra work outside of

working hours?

• Create clear boundaries between work and home

• Refresh your ‘to do’ list at the end of the day

• Use the time on your commute home to wind down from work

• Make sure you’re maintaining a life outside of work

How we can help• Free e-newsletter with our latest updates

• Free guides for employers

Mind’s guide to developing a WAP

How we can help• Webinars for line managers and HR professionals /

SMT

• Mind Workplace – training and consultancy

• Local Minds – counselling services, job retention

services

• Mind Infoline and Legal Advice Service

• Information on Mind website

• Free resources for employees

Any questions?

To find out more:

mind.org.uk/work for information and resources

on mental health at work

mind.org.uk for general information

Contact: work@mind.org.uk

020 8215 2231

• Send Mind your action plans

• Send Mind your case studies

What next?

• World Mental Health Day – 10 October 2015

• Time to Talk Day – 4 Feb 2016

• Charter one-year anniversary – March 2016

sport@mind.org.uk