Managing Mental Health in the Workplace

At Emphasis, we have seen a positive push from employers, such as providing training mental health first aid, offering medical benefits including employee assistant programmes and opening the discussion on mental health in the workplace.

We still however see many non-intentional errors with people making assumptions and having very little understanding of mental health, when their discussions become more than surface level mental health support.

This article focuses on tips and support for you in managing mental health within your team.

The wider picture

· 1 in 6 working-age adults live with a mental disorder (World Health Organisation)

· 25% of employees say mental health support was offered throughout 2020 (Breathe – The Culture Economy Report 2021)

· 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England (Mind)

· toxic workplace cultures are costing the UK economy £20.2 billion per year (Breathe – The Culture Economy Report 2021)

· the Financial Times highlighted the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s report which found a striking link between antidepressant use and deprivation: in 2021/22, more than twice as many patients were prescribed antidepressant drugs from practices in the most deprived areas in England than in the least deprived areas

It is clear, employers who provide mental health support such as employee assistance programmes, are offering a potentially lifesaving benefit service for people, where the NHS cannot keep up with the demand.

How work affects mental health

The World Health Organisation and International Labour Organisation, says sources of stress that pose a risk to mental health at work include:

· discrimination and inequality

· poor working environments

· underpaid and undervalued

· harassment and bullying

· high job demands

· low job control

The errors we have seen managers make when dealing with someone who is suffering with poor mental health include:

· assuming the employee is getting support (from their GP or a local mental health team)

· believing they, or HR, can fix them

· lack of knowledge (or time to find out more)

· lack of awareness concerning reasonable adjustments

· making assumptions about what the individual is going through

· making bold/untrue statements about their health “you’re clearly depressed!”

· not asking about what medication they might be taking

· thinking of them being a financial burden on the company due to absence

· shutting down any conversations and not giving them time to talk

· pretending nothing is wrong (they’ll get better soon)

· assuming they have family/friends around to help

· overstepping boundaries

Taking positive action

There are some easy and positive steps to support your team member who is suffering with their mental health:

· if it is clear they are not in the right frame of mind to work, ask them to take some time out

· give them time, and ask them if they want to talk

· discuss and agree reasonable adjustments to their role (this is a legal requirement for employees classified as disabled)

· find out what support you can provide as a manager (what does your company offer, can you request support on their behalf? Can you advocate an employee assistance programme on their behalf)

· have an open and honest discussion about their mental health in the context of their responsibilities

· build trust

· increase connection

What’s clear, is a few, small unintentional remarks, can set you back very quickly if you inadvertently say them

Phrases not to say to someone suffering with their mental health:

· “you’re making a big deal out of nothing”

· “You’re so OCD” – this belittles a very serious condition

· “don’t worry, be happy!”

· “I’m depressed too”

· “smile, it might never happen”

· “you are fine, don’t stress”

· “just calm down”

· “you’re overthinking it”

· “it’s all in your head”

An employer’s duty of care

The Equality Act 2020 offers individuals protection against discrimination and provides employers with clarity about their responsibilities. It applies to large and small employers, they have the same legal duties, but how these are put into practice can be different. No employer is exempt from these duties because of size.

The Act provides protection from discrimination, arising from a disability and says treatment of a disabled person amounts to discrimination where:

· an employer treats the disabled person unfavourably;

· this treatment is because of something arising in consequence of the disabled person’s disability; and

· the employer cannot show that this treatment is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim,

Unless the employer does not know, and could not reasonably be expected to know, that the person has the disability.

However, proceed with caution. It is easy to try and turn a blind eye to a disability but based on what an employee has informed you (and can demonstrate they told you), you may be caught out by this. Our suggested approach is, better to know more and find out, then bury your head in the sand.

The law can be very complex to navigate and you might not know where to start if you are feeling overwhelmed in managing the situation. At Emphasis, we have a team of specialists who can provide clear and straight forward advice on managing mental health in the workplace. We can help you act and take the right steps to support your employees, without the needs for conflict, stress or overcomplicated problems.