The beginning of February marked Time to Talk Day. Effect change across workplaces in Britain by joining the effort to raise awareness about stress prevention and support for mental well-being during key moments throughout the year. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)’s Working Minds campaign gives employers access to a calendar highlighting awareness days, weeks, and months for 2024, alongside creative resources to share across your networks and platforms.
The HSE provide an array of tools and resources aimed at assisting businesses in establishing safe and healthy work environments. They are keen to ensure that these tools and resources effectively benefit individuals who influence the physical and mental health and safety protocols within their workplaces.
In doing so, they are inviting employers to participate in a brief anonymous survey to share their familiarity with these tools, including simply whether or not they have heard about them in the first place. Take part in the survey here.
‘Sustaining a Mentally Healthy Workplace’ is the name of a blog launched by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) which delves into how authentic and visible leadership, coupled with robust management capabilities, serve as the foundation for fostering a mentally healthy workplace.
In the period spanning 2022 to 2023, approximately 875,000 individuals experienced work-related mental health issues, such as stress, depression, or anxiety.
Neglecting to address stress in the workplace can incur costs for employers in terms of decreased productivity, increased sick leave, or the departure of valuable team members.
As the new year commences, many individuals reassess their careers, potentially resulting in experienced employees seeking new opportunities and leaving positions vacant.
The departure of employees not only signifies a loss of valuable skills and expertise but also impacts the organisation financially. According to the CIPD, the median cost of recruiting employees is estimated at £1,500, rising to £3,000 for senior managers (based on the 2022 Talent Planning Survey).
The Managing stress article on our website guides employers on how to manage those at work with genuine stress related issues, covering:
- the causes
- the symptoms to look out for
- types of stress
- how to minimise stress
- the benefits of a stress policy, audits and counselling
- how to manage absence due to stress
Further advice
The HSE has a separate section of its website specifically covering stress. This includes guidance and also a risk-assessment tool to assist businesses to identify potential problem areas.
We are here to help
If you are unsure how to support your employees with their mental health, or would like to discuss our HR, Payroll, or Health and Safety services, please contact us and speak to a member of the team.
