Healthy at Work - Mental well-being

In the high-pressure environment of the twenty-first century workplace, the mental health and wellbeing of your employees is of paramount importance. |Workplace stress is affecting more people than ever before, self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety account for an estimated 12.8 million lost working days per year in Britain. Mental health issues contribute up to 40% of all sickness absence, as well as to losses in productivity and a higher staff turnover, which could be costing your business an average of £1000 per employee per year (CIPD/HSE/ONS, 2007). It is therefore very much in the interests of employers as well as employees to focus on mental well-being in the workplace, and to create a supportive and stress-free environment within which such problems will be minimised.

8 easy steps an employer can take:

• Undertake a risk assessment for work-related stress using the Health and Safety Executive guidance. For more information, see the |Health and Safety Executive's website
• Consult with employees and their representatives to identify problem areas and make a commitment to take action in partnership
• Make an action plan. An example plan and stress policy are available from the |Health and Safety Executive's website
• Develop mental well-being policies/practices (e.g. encouraging work-life balance through flexible working, tackling long hours culture). Help with this is available from the |NHS First Steps Service
• Make sure that your organisation has in place a good equal opportunities policy, anti discriminatory practices, clear routes for reporting and seeking redress, and takes action to reduce harassment/bullying
• Reduce the problems encountered by people with mental health difficulties by raising awareness and understanding of mental health issues among the rest of the workforce e.g. through training provided through |Surrey Supported Employment
• Support staff who experience mental health problems to help them remain at or return to work e.g. by making reasonable adjustments as appropriate according to the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act
• Have a positive approach to employing people with a history or experience of mental health problems, and offering people who are recovering to gain work experience through voluntary/supported work placements. Help with this is available through |Surrey Supported Employment

|Find out more about mental health on the Directgov website.