July hosts an abundance of mental health awareness days including Samaritans Awareness Day and their associated awareness-raising campaign, Talk to Us, and National Schizophrenia Day to name a few. But as something that’s gradually (and finally!) losing its stigma, specifically in a workplace environment, it’s important that we keep the conversation around mental health open all year-round and don’t get caught up in the ‘mental health washing’ phenomena. 

With MHFA England statistics revealing that over half (51%) of long-term sick leave is down to stress, depression, and anxiety, it’s urgently important that employers are giving mental health the consideration it requires.  

Here, we’ll be taking a closer look at mental health in the workplace, and how best to support your colleagues who are dealing with poor mental health.  

Mental health in the workplace 

At some point in our lives, we will all experience poor mental health which can be caused by a multitude or combination of things going on in our lives. But when we also have pressures from work to contend with on top of these other life stressors, these can aggravate an existing mental health disorder, making it even more difficult to control.  

We have a variety of legal rights that protect our mental health at work. For example, most people with ongoing mental health problems meet the definition of disability in the Equality Act (2010) in England and the Disability Discrimination Act (1995, as amended) in Northern Ireland. This means people with mental health problems are protected from discrimination and harassment and are entitled to have reasonable adjustments made to ensure their job or work doesn’t impact their mental health.  

The effects of poor mental health at work can be far greater than someone simply being less motivated or productive and can lead to much longer-lasting problems and significantly impact a colleague’s ability to remain within the workforce. Failing to assess the situation and have a plan of action could mean you’re putting your colleague’s health and wellbeing at risk. 

By taking action to reduce work stressors, you can actively prevent people from becoming unwell and improve the likelihood that a colleague with an existing condition (whether this is diagnosed or not) will be able to better handle their wellbeing while at work.  

How to support colleagues with mental health disorders 

Research has time and time again shown that organisations perform better when their workforce are healthy, motivated, and focused, and employee wellbeing is treated as a priority (CIPD). It’s crucial that employers are creating a healthy working environment which supports employees who are experiencing mental health disorders to cope and recover.  

There are some common checkpoints all businesses should be hitting on their journey to improving employee mental wellbeing.

1. Take away the taboo

While we’re certainly getting better as a society about talking openly about mental health in our everyday life, in the workplace it’s a different story. People often feel that needing support with mental health is a sign of weakness and incapability, and so the topic remains taboo. In fact, a recent study conducted by People Management found that under half (49%) of people felt unsupported in discussing their mental health at work, with just 37% saying they do feel supported in it.  

Removing the taboo around mental health and taking genuine action, rather than treating it as a performative tick-box exercise, is not only the right thing to do, but it’s also vital for creating a safe space for your workforce. In order to recognise mental health in the same way as physical health, you should create internal policies which demonstrate this—for example, giving your colleagues annual mental health days, and recognising mental health as a reason for absence.  

Similarly, managers should be trained to approach mental health topics with the right language, and the due diligence they require and be able to sensitively encourage open dialogue with their team members on their mental health. Being able to take the lead and raise a conversation with colleagues you believe could be struggling with their mental health is crucial as people often don’t feel able to bring it up themselves. Senior leaders who are able to speak about this topic, or even share their own struggles, empower others to seek the help they need to succeed.

2. Approach conversations sensitively and flexibly

No two people will struggle in the exact same way with their mental health, even if they’re diagnosed with the same mental health disorder. Avoid making assumptions based on what you already know about an illness and don’t implement solutions without first giving the colleague the option to recommend a way of support, or checking your suggested ones will actually benefit them.  

Although confidentiality will be of utmost importance, it’s crucial to be honest during these conversations and let your colleague know if and when someone else will need to be notified about anything they’re saying. For example, if they’ve said something that’s a cause for concern, or if occupational health will need to be involved in developing a wellbeing action plan for them. If there’s a need to share something, you should be clear about who you’ll share it with and why. 

3. Identify and manage triggers together

As mental health problems ebb and flow, it’s common for there to be a trigger that creates issues for people, resulting in greater distress and subsequently, a greater inability to cope at work. Although some of these triggers might be down to things happening outside of work, there can be themes which are underlying and transfer to a work environment. For example, if not feeling heard or seen has been a trigger for your colleague outside of work, then not having the space to give feedback or be given the same opportunities within work could worsen their mental health. 

Conversely, assuming they need work taking off them and removing meaningful responsibilities can have just as an adverse effect, but knowing their triggers can help you both to work together to make the right decisions.  

4. Introduce multiple points of contact for support

The mental health crisis in the UK is crippling, and as such, we’re seeing many people in need of mental health support unable to access these services due to the overwhelming demand and lack of professionals and funding. This means, there’s every chance the colleague struggling with their mental health may not have any professional support outside of work. 

Consider offering mental health training to your workforce to create a group of mental health champions that employees can use when they want to talk to someone perhaps more unfamiliar to them than yourself. If you have the budget available, you might also want to look into adding private healthcare or counselling into your benefits package to ensure employees can take the next step in getting their mental health in a better place. Having as many different points of contact as possible readily available will reiterate your prioritisation of mental wellbeing. 

5. Commit to continuous review

Ensure all team members have regular check-ins and any additional needs are accommodated where possible, and that any employees who have returned to work after being signed off due to poor mental health are being integrated back in with care and compassion.  

Some organisations find it helpful to review progress at the end of each year by sending out surveys, or hosting focus groups. If you choose to implement this, you need to ensure you act on the findings and use the information to improve the support available to colleagues.  

Treating your colleagues right isn’t just important for your business, but also for ensuring responsible business practices. As a society we have done so much work to remove the stigma of mental health in general, but there’s still many opportunities to improve our knowledge, understanding, and handling of it within a workplace setting. With these five tips, you can begin laying the groundwork for a truly inclusive workplace that ensures everybody is seen, heard, and valued—and feels that way, too! 

Want to make more responsible business decisions? Stay up to date with the latest news and insights from us via the Responsible Business @ Davies page and look out for next month’s Responsible Business blog.