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Acknowledging, discussing and understanding mental health in the workplace was once an unspoken taboo, but as more employers and employees are educated on the complexities surrounding the subject, it is slowly becoming a topic which we are hearing a lot more of. It is, in particular, a topic which small business owners need to be aware of, and have a clear understanding of.
On 8th January 2017, Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, spoke to parliament stating that the government has “more to do” regarding mental health – including building “a new partnership with employers to support mental health in the workplace”.
Unbeknownst to most business owners, there are numerous project throughout the UK offering support to both employees and employers who have experienced mental health problems in the workplace; whether work has been a contributing factor to a person’s issues or not. These projects have very high success records in supporting people to be effective employees in the long term.
According to mental health charity, Mind, their research confirms that an outdated culture of fear and silence around mental health in the workplace is costly to employers. More than one in five people agreed that they had called in sick to avoid work when asked how workplace stress had affected them, and 30% of staff disagreed with the statement “I would feel able to talk openly with my line manager if I was feeling stressed.”
Louise Aston, wellbeing director at Business in the Community (BITC), believes that implanting the importance of mental health into a work culture can be a lengthy process. She said, “The key here is about really strong leadership, making a commitment to putting mental and physical health on a parity, and providing relevant training to all employees.”
If you require any form of health and safety training for employees and employers in the workplace, visit CE Safety for a wide range of affordable courses offered throughout the UK.
