Health and Safety- Psychological Safety
Mental Health refers to our psychological, emotional, and social well-being. Our mental health affects not only how we feel but how we think and act.
In the UK, 1 in 4 adults struggle with their mental health. 1 in 6 adults report experiencing common mental health problems such as anxiety or depression in any given week.
In 2024 so far more than 1 in 7 UK adults have said their mental health is currently bad or the worst it has ever been.
Mental health doesn’t just affect one area of life, if a person is struggling they may see it projected throughout their life, whether at work, socially, or at home. It can affect the way we act around people, our mood, our motivation and it can prevent us from wanting to do the things we enjoy.
Working conditions and environment can have a huge impact on a person's mental health and equally someone's mental health can affect their performance at work too. 1 in 6.8 (14.7) people experience mental health problems in the workplace.
In the last 10 years, the number of people suffering from mental health problems has gone up by 13%.
With the amount of people suffering with their mental health daily, more training needs to be delivered on how to help those suffering around us.
By the end of this white paper, you will understand the significance mental health plays and what you can do as an employer to help keep your staff safe.
Work-related stress and how to manage it:
Work-related stress is when the pressures of work become more than you can cope with. This can potentially make a person feel both physically and mentally ill. The Work-related stress and how to manage it guidance outlines the significant role and legal duty an employer has to protect their employees from stress at work and what they can do to help them.
This guidance is helpful in showing the areas of work that can affect stress, what the signs of stress are and what you can do to both prevent and help your employees from experiencing too much stress.
Mental health and Work-related stress:
Work-related stress and Mental health can often go hand in hand with one-another. It can often make an existing mental health problem worsen and feel more difficult to control. It also means that it can be hard to separate one from the other.
Mental health and work-related stress have two key differences; which are the cause and the treatment for them.
Stress is reactive, it is caused by an event or experience in someone's home life, work life or a combination of both.
Common mental health problems can have a single cause such as bereavement or divorce etc. But this doesn’t always mean that people can’t have these problems without an obvious cause.
Understanding the difference between them is the first step in being able to help prevent your employee from experiencing work-related stress.
Signs you should look out for:
The signs for work-related stress and mental health problems can be very similar but the keys ones to look out for are:
Increase in sick days or absence
Diminished creativity and initiative
Drop in work performance
Problems with interpersonal relationships
Mood swings and irritability
Aggression
Lower tolerance of frustration or impatience
Disinterest
Change in character
Quieter behaviour.
Both mental health and work-related stress will present differently in each person but if you notice a change in their behaviour for the worse, then it is important that you check in to see how they are.
Ignoring any of these signs can mean that the situation gets worse for your employees or colleague. Their mental health could decline, they may develop a more serious mental health issue and in some severe cases it can lead to them taking their own life.
Did you know that a suspected 10% of suicides each year are due to work-related stress?
In some cases, the person experiencing work-related stress points their frustration outwards. They become aggressive to others, and this can easily escalate to abuse if not handled properly.
This is why it is imperative that as employers or leaders, you have the systems in place to help prevent such extreme events from happening.
Prevention over reaction:
When dealing with employees who experience mental health difficulties the key is prevention over reaction. As soon as you notice the signs that your employee or colleague might be struggling, talk to them. The earlier they receive help the better, as it can prevent it from becoming worse.
If the employee or colleague does not want to discuss it with you, then you should suggest that they speak to someone else, this can be another manager, an employee assistance program, occupational health, or their own GP. Letting them know that you are there to help but that they have other options for help will put them more at ease.
If they are struggling with work-related stress due to the workload, ensure that they know you are willing to help them and adapt to the work if necessary.
It is an employer's legal duty to ensure that their staff are working in a safe environment, ensuring they have access to help should they need it.
How can employers support their employees who are struggling?:
Knowing how to prevent and help your employees who are struggling with mental health problems will ensure a better working environment and better overall performance. This is why training in how to support and handle the intricacies of your employee's and colleague’s mental health is so important. Here are some tips on how to help those who are struggling:
Have regular well-being check-ins: Meet with them, check how they are, how their workload is, if they need help with anything
Ensure they know that you are there to support them
Produce, implement, and communicate a mental health at work plan that promotes good mental health of all employees
Develop mental health awareness among employees by making information, tools, and support accessible
Provide employees with good working conditions and ensure they have a healthy work-life balance and opportunities for development
Promote effective people management to ensure all employees have regular conversations about their health and well-being with their line manager or supervisor
Train and support line managers and supervisors in effective management practices.
Mental health and work-related stress are common issues across the whole of the UK and globally. 1 in 4 of your employees could be struggling with their mental health, let's work together to support them the best we can.
If you have any concerns about the issues raised in the white paper or need any help or advice, please get in touch. Our team offers full support and training around issues such as this and are able to advise and train employers and employees on safeguarding those experiencing mental health problems or work-related stress.
Helpful links:
HSE- Mental Health and Line Managers
RLB offer a variety of support packages, particuarly bespoke for Mental Health First Aid intiatives including safeguarding consultancy and training and are also partnered with Our Minds Work to ensure that the employers we work with are receiving the best in the business support and training.
Please contact us here for a chat if you would like to explore bespoke training in this field.