Employee Outlook: Focus on mental health in the workplace - Mind

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ConclusionsThe survey highlights why mental health in the workplace isan issue that employers cannot afford to ignore, now morethan ever. More than a quarter (26%) of employees reportthey have experienced mental health problems while inemployment, with women significantly more likely to say thisis the case (31%) than men (22%).The findings also reveal that people who have experiencedmental health problems in the past are also much morelikely to describe their current mental health as poor thanthose who have not experienced mental health while inemployment before. How employers manage people comingback to work after a mental health problem is critical tothem making a successful and lasting return to work. Unlessmanagers understand their role in supporting employeeswho are returning to work after experiencing a mentalhealth problem, it is likely the individual’s recovery and wellbeingwill be undermined.Managing mental health at work is not just about employersfulfilling their duty of care to their staff – it is also aboutgetting the best out of their people. Nearly four out of fiveemployees who report their current mental health is poorsay that they find it difficult to concentrate at work as aresult of their illness, and more than half say that they havedifficulty juggling a number of tasks and take longer to dotasks. In all, 42% of these respondents say that they put offchallenging tasks as a result of going in to work with poormental health and 50% report they are less patient withcustomers and clients.The survey indicates that presenteeism associated withmental health problems is just as challenging an issue foremployers as managing the absence of employees with poormental health. Although more than half of employees thatcategorise themselves as experiencing poor mental healthsay they have taken time off as a result, most continue toattend work regularly. More than a third (37%) of peoplesay they always go to work when experiencing poor mentalhealth and 61% say they sometimes do. In most cases, itwill be better for the individual if they are able to remain inwork with support where necessary – for example, workingreduced hours for a period – rather than being signed offsick. The longer people are off work sick, the less likely theyare to make a successful return to work.One of the difficulties of managing mental health at work isthere is often a number of factors behind people’s problems.For nearly two-thirds of people experiencing poor mentalhealth, their problems stem from a combination of bothwork and problems in their personal lives. For many peopleit is the complex interaction between the pressures they areunder both at work and at home that combine to createa situation where they feel unable to cope. Prolongedexposure to excessive pressure – in other words, stress – islinked to common mental health conditions such as anxietyand depression. It is therefore impossible to disentanglethe impact of various factors on mental health and so is inemployers’ interests to actively support staff with mentalhealth problems, whatever the original cause or trigger. Thewider knock-on effects for the employer are also significant,as positive employee engagement means staff feel valuedand are more likely to go the extra mile for the organisation.Despite the prevalence and impact of mental healthproblems at work, the survey suggests that the issue ofmental health remains one many employers would preferto brush under the carpet rather than take steps to manageeffectively. Just four in ten employees would feel confidentdisclosing a mental health problem to their employer ormanager, while only one in four say their organisationencourages staff to talk openly about mental healthproblems. This culture of silence means undetected mentalhealth problems can spiral into a crisis.This reluctance totalk about mental health in the workplace is likely to befuelled by inadequate support, for example no access tooccupational health services or counselling, as well as poorcommunication from employers of what support is availablefor people who are experiencing problems.When asked how well their organisation supports employeeswith mental health problems, 37% said fairly well or verywell compared with 39% who said not very well, or not atall well; however, a further 31% said they don’t know whatsupport is available.7 <strong>Focus</strong> on mental health in the workplace
Despite this, nearly half (45%) of respondents think theiremployer or manager would be supportive if they diddisclose they had a mental health problem, with 43%disagreeing and 16% saying they don’t know.These attitudes reflect quite accurately the reality of theproportion of people who do disclose their mental healthproblems. In all, 43% of those who said they had poormental health had disclosed that they had a mental healthproblem to their manager or employer, with 57% keeping itto themselves.Where employees do disclose, the response from theiremployer or manager is generally supportive. More than athird (37%) of those who had disclosed they had a mentalhealth problem said they had received a lot of support fromtheir employer or manager and a further 51% said they hadreceived a little support. Just 13% said they had received nosupport at all. This highlights the need for employers to takethe first step and create open workplace cultures, promotingthe message that the mental health of staff is valued and ifpeople are experiencing problems, they will be supported.The survey’s findings provide further compelling evidence asto why employers need to become more proactive in howthey manage mental health at work. CIPD research intoabsence shows that common mental health problems suchas stress, anxiety and depression account for most time lostto ill health other than musculoskeletal conditions. However,in many ways it is the time people who are experiencingmental health problems spend at work that employersshould focus more efforts on managing.The starting point for addressing this issue is good peoplemanagement by front-line managers and supervisors.Managers play a pivotal role – they can be part of theproblem or part of the solution. Managers that put excessiveworkloads on staff or have a bullying management style arelikely to either create or exacerbate mental health problemsat work. In contrast, managers who communicate well andconsult, coach and develop their staff are more likely tosupport positive mental health and resilience in the peoplethey manage.early stage before their problems escalate. In some cases,managers may even be able to help people cope with theirproblems through informal counselling by helping them totake stock and identify what is causing their distress andsuggesting possible solutions or sources of support, such asdebt or bereavement counselling.Employers that provide employees with access tooccupational health services are much better equippedto manage the issue of mental health at work. In manycases early referral to occupational health for people withmental health problems will help nip the problem in thebud; waiting until someone has been off work for a monthmay undermine the chances of a successful return to work.Employers should also consider the benefits of providingemployee assistance programmes, which often also offeremployees a number of face-to-face counselling sessions.In addition, all employers should conduct regular riskassessments for stress to help ensure that their workingenvironments support rather than undermine employeeresilience. Organisations have a duty under health and safetylaw to identify and manage stress at work. The Health andSafety Executive’s management standards on stress provide auseful step-by-step tool to conducting a stress risk assessment,which can help identify and resolve systemic problems such asexcessive workload, inadequate training or bullying.Looking ahead over the next few years, the business case formanaging mental health at work becomes even stronger asthe world’s economic outlook continues to remain depressed.Worries about debt, home repossession, job insecurity andredundancy mean that people are increasingly vulnerable tomental health problems. Add to these pressures increasingwork intensity, change and conflict in the workplace and youhave the perfect ingredients for a surge in mental ill health.Managers are also the people in organisations that shouldbe able to spot the early warning signs when someone isnot coping at work, for whatever reason, such as changes inperformance or behaviour. Managers can ensure that peoplewith mental health problems are referred to occupationalhealth where these services are available or advise themto see their GP if they have not already done so at an8 <strong>Focus</strong> on mental health in the workplace
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Page 3: Mental health at workMental health
Page 6 and 7: Supporting mental healthin the work
Page 10 and 11: Background to the surveyThe CIPD ha

Employee Outlook: Focus on mental health in the workplace - Mind

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