What can you do to support employees’ mental health? asks Jenny Nolan of Pure Human Resources

The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day – marked on 10th October – was “Mental health is a universal human right” and there was a lot of ‘activity’ on that particular day to raise awareness. As employers and managers, you have a duty of care to your employees all year round and you can do your bit to protect this universal human right by creating a work environment where people feel comfortable discussing mental health issues and providing access to support should anyone be struggling.

When you consider that many people spend so much of their lives engaged in work activity, whether they’re physically in the workplace or working from home, they sometimes have more contact with colleagues than they do with their friends and family.

So what practical things can you do as an employer or manager to support the mental health of your employees?

• Appoint a Mental Health First Aider if you haven’t already got one, to be a key point of contact for anyone needing help or just more information. Ensure your chosen person is fully equipped with the necessary qualifications and training such as our Supervising Mental Health First Aid course.
• Empower your whole team with the knowledge and tools to spot signs of mental health struggles in others so they can look out for each other.
  Our half day Mental Health Awareness course is a great resource for this.
• Build a team where people feel safe raising any issues they are facing – make time for team building and bonding activities. Even just making time and space for people to share a cup of coffee together gives them an opportunity to chat and open up.
• Review your team’s training needs – a skills gap can lead to frustration and reduced performance, resulting in stress.
• Help your team manage their workloads effectively. Have clear priorities, encourage effective delegation, provide adequate resources and be realistic about expectations and deadlines.
• As a manager, check in your team. Ask them individually how they are and really listen to their response. Whilst they may feel reluctant to share details, there may be signs that things aren’t ok, and they need some extra support. Let them know you’re there for them, when they’re ready.

For more advice and practical ways to support your team, contact Pure Human Resources on 01797 329470 or email [email protected]