Mental health and wellbeing in the workplace
Mental health describes how a person is feeling and how they cope with everyday life. It's often referred to as mental wellbeing or emotional health. We all have it.
Staying in positive mental health allows employees to:
- realise their full potential
- cope with the pressures of everyday life
- work productively
- make good choices
- have positive relationships
For employers, this translates into reduced staff absence and improved staff retention, which brings positive economic benefits.
The cost of poor mental health
With 1 in 6 employees currently experiencing mental health problems, then mental health is an essential business concern:
- In 2022, mental health was the 5th most common reason given for sickness absence in the UK (ONS, 2023).
- 17.1 million working days were lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2022/23 (HSE, 2023).
- Mental health issues account for a significant percentage of presenteeism (attending work while sick), which affects productivity. This costs UK employers around £27 billion a year (Deloitte, 2020).
- Mental ill health is now the most common cause of work-limiting conditions among those aged 44 years and younger (The Health Foundation, 2023).
Support in Staffordshire
Everyone Health Staffordshire
Everyone Health Staffordshire offers a free healthy lifestyle service to Staffordshire residents. This includes support to help people lose weight, get more active and stop smoking. Please note, some restrictions do apply.
They also offer a free healthy workplace service to some businesses in Staffordshire, to support employees to stay healthy. Contact Everyone Health to discuss if your business may be eligible.
Mental health support in Staffordshire
There is a wide range of mental health support available locally (and nationally) for people to access.
Support for carers in Staffordshire - Staffordshire Together for Carers Service
The Staffordshire Together for Carers Service provide information, advice and a wide range of specialist support services designed to help adult and young carers to continue in their caring role.
As 82,000 people in Staffordshire provide unpaid care (Census data, 2021), then it’s likely that your business has carers as employees, so make sure they receive the advice and support they need by signposting them to this useful website.
Resources to support your employees with their mental health and wellbeing
Take a look at these useful training sessions, toolkits, websites and campaigns to help improve mental health and wellbeing in your workplace.
Toolkits:
Business in the Community has partnered with Public Health England to produce this simple and informative toolkit to help businesses support the mental health and wellbeing of their employees. This step-by-step guide contains all the information and resources you need to develop an evidence-based approach to mental health that works for your business.
This informative toolkit produced by Business in the Community, Public Health England and supported by the Samaritans provides support and advice for employers on how to incorporate suicide prevention into their workplace health and wellbeing framework. It supports employers to identify members of staff who may have suicidal feelings, and gives practical advice on dealing with crisis situations.
No one expects to have to deal with a suicide, but in 2019 unfortunately over 5,300 people in England took their own lives. Death by suicide can have a profound effect on a business and its employees. This toolkit produced by Business in the Community, Public Health England and the Samaritans offers practical advice to support employers in their response to the suicide of an employee.
Training:
#TalkSuicide is a suicide prevention campaign that aims to bring individuals, organisations and businesses together to help prevent suicide in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
Suicide prevention training is available for free. Watch the interactive online training from the Zero Suicide Alliance, and in 20 minutes you can gain the skills to save a life.
Half-day suicide awareness and prevention training sessions are also available, delivered online by North Staffs Mind. These fully funded sessions will help you to:
-
- Tackle misconceptions and stigma regarding suicide
- Recognise the signs that someone may be at risk
- Have an open and honest dialogue about suicide
- Use a simple 4-step suicide intervention
- Signpost to local support services
To book a place on this training, please email: suicideprevention@staffordshire.gov.uk
- Mental Health Awareness Training (delivered by Staffordshire County Council)
The Health, Safety and Wellbeing Service at Staffordshire County Council currently offer two half day mental health awareness training sessions:
- adult mental health aware training
- youth mental health aware training (for adults, but for an awareness of youth mental health)
Currently, the training is only delivered online (maximum 9 delegates per session). The cost is £450 per session.
For more information about the training, please email: WorkplaceHealth@staffordshire.gov.uk
Campaigns, websites and apps:
Get your workplace involved in the Mental Health Foundation’s mental health awareness week, which takes place every year in May.
On 10 October every year, it is the World Federation for Mental Health’s world mental health day. Why not get your workplace involved in this great awareness raising event by promoting the day through your social media channels, or run an activity or event? The Mental Health Foundation have some resources you can use.
On 10 September every year, it is world suicide prevention day. The day aims to raise awareness of how to prevent suicide.
This website gives you loads of tips and ideas on how to improve mental health at work. It covers ideas for how your staff can be encouraged to take care of themselves e.g. 'how to be mentally healthy at work' and 'dealing with burnout'. It also has lots of free resources to help managers to take care of their staff's mental health.
This website provides information on a range of topics related to mental health, such as anxiety and stress. It also gives lots of useful wellbeing tips and tools, such as your mind plan quiz, mindfulness techniques and an email support programme.
Find out more about a range of issues related to mental health, such as information on anxiety and stress, and how to help someone with depression.
This website from Mental Health UK offers tips, advice and online calculators for those experiencing issues with mental health and money.
There are an increasing number of health and wellbeing apps available. We are making it easier for you and your employees to find apps that can help you to stay healthy and well with our health and wellbeing app finder tool. This includes the top rated apps for mental health and wellbeing.
Staffordshire Connects is our easy-to-use directory. It provides details about hundreds of different care, support and wellbeing organisations, local activities, clubs and community groups taking place across Staffordshire.
As there is a close relationship between mental health and sleep, take a look at the sleep and recovery in the workplace section for ideas on how to support your employees improve their sleep.
National support services:
This confidential service is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions. It is available at no charge to any employees with depression, anxiety, stress, or other mental health issues affecting their work. Employees can apply directly with Able Futures or Maximus.
Tools:
Debt is an issue that can trigger anxiety and depression. Staffordshire’s 'Entitled To' benefits checker is a free online calculator that enables people to find out what benefits they may be entitled to. It takes around 10 minutes to complete and all details provided are anonymous.
This is a form produced by the Department for Work and Pensions. It can be used by people who have a disability or health condition that makes it harder for them to move into work or stay in a job.
It can help people:
- Identify what support and changes (known as reasonable adjustments) they may need when in work or moving into work.
- Apply for support from 'Access to Work'. This could include funding for specialist equipment and support getting to and from work.
- Talk to employers about adjustments and in work support they may need.
Get in touch
Let us know what you’re doing in your workplace around mental health by emailing WorkplaceHealth@staffordshire.gov.uk