MENTAL HEALTH AWARESS WEEK

 

 

Mental Health Awareness Week should be every week of every year, not just this week. Poor mental health and stress in the workplace can no longer be ignored. The cost to the mental wellbeing of staff as well as the financial implications is horrendous.

STRESSWORX believes that stress is one of the biggest health issues at work today. The true extent of stress-related problems is often hidden because very few people are prepared to admit that they are suffering from stress, or to seek help. It is difficult for those who have not experienced depression, anxiety, and despair, which often accompany stress, to fully appreciate the effect stress can have on both professional and personal lives.

There is still a stigma around the term “mental health” in spite of it being firmly on the agenda of news and social media headlines

It is estimated that one in four of us will be affected by a mental illness, such as depression or anxiety, at some point in our lives. That may be down to work related stress, or it may be because of something going on at home or elsewhere in our personal lives. With the ever-increasing use of technology comes an added pressure, with 24/7 demands on our time and energy.

We know that if we are upset or stressed at home that it will take its toll but what causes stress at work? Overworked, overtired and overwhelmed people make mistakes.

Unison carried out a survey last year with 1,000 public sector workers who stated that stress was caused by

  • Excessive demands of the job
  • Feeling overworked
  • Inter-personal relationships at work inc. bullying / harassment
  • Lack of control to plan personal workload
  • Lack of support from colleagues
  • Uncertainty over work roles
  • No sense of job security
  • Change within the organisation
  • Fear of physical / verbal abuse
  • Ability to take suitable breaks from work (inc. toilet breaks)
  • Expectation to be “always available” to employers
  • Low pay / making financial ends meet
  • Poor work / life balance

In another survey, by MIND – 48% in the public sector took time off for their well-being, compared with 32% in the private sector.

Paul Farmer, Mind’s chief executive, called on organisations to combat a “culture of fear and silence in the workplace” towards mental issues.

Whichever way you look at it these figures are unacceptable. When you add the percentages together 80% of the UK workforce have wellbeing or stress issues.

Is there a culture of fear and silence in your company?

An employer’s failure to manage stress in the workplace could lead to lasting damage to an employee’s physical and mental health.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 apply equally to mental / emotional wellbeing as they do to physical injury and health. The law clearly states that employers must conduct a suitable and sufficient risk assessment and implement appropriate control measures to reduce work related stress.

Turning a blind eye or ignoring it and hoping it will go away, is not an option.

Is your company compliant with the HSE Stress Management Standards?

Does the culture of the company acknowledge mental health issues?

Senior managers often try to disguise their own fatigue and growing levels of stress. The stigma of shame and expectations upon them make it “impossible” to admit to being stressed. However, by not taking early action, the manager’s stress may result in uncharacteristic anger, confrontation and mistakes, manifesting in a complete breakdown.

Given the uncertainty and anxiety about Brexit, it is not at all surprising that workplace stress and absence is increasing, creating challenges for human resources directors.

High sickness absence also has a negative impact on colleagues who have to pick up extra workloads to ensure that the work takes place.

Under current legislation, employers have two duties:

  1. To risk assess whether work activities cause stress-related ill health (under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999).
  2. To take measures to control that risk (under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974).

Prevention is better than cure and if an employee were to take legal action against your company, it will take hours and hours of HR time, not to mention the cost.

Why take the risk?

Government statistics show that:

  • You can significantly improve working life for 20% of your staff, with all the knock-on benefits of reduced absenteeism and lower turnover.
  • For every £1 you invest in staff well-being, there’s a return of £3 in improved efficiency and productivity.

Do you know how much stress is costing your company?

Is the company compliant with Health and Safety Legislation?

Is stress is impacting on productivity and efficiency?

Do you know how to tell if someone is stressed out?

What support do you offer?

STRESSWORX offers workshops for different levels of the organisation in accordance with identified need. This includes a complementary presentation to the Board/Senior Team.

www.stressworx.co.uk  in partnership with HR Think    www.hrthink.co.uk