by Ellen Parkin
One in four people in the UK will have a mental health problem at some point. Based on this statistic, the person sat next to you at work, a family member or even yourself can or will be affected.
Stress, anxiety and depression accounts for over half of all lost work days. A staggering 15.4 million working days were lost in 2017/18 as a result of the condition.
Culturally, almost all workers will feel comfortable calling in sick with a common cold or stomach bug, but many people – unfortunately – feel embarrassed or ashamed to tell their boss they are experiencing low mood or panic attacks.
World Mental Health Day is a great opportunity for SMEs to review what skills gaps exist within their organisation around managing mental health in the workplace.
Positive mental health at work for employers, employees and line managers
At Spire HR, we always advocate taking positive action today to promote employee wellbeing and business resilience tomorrow.
Working with an outsourced HR partner will ensure you are fully supported to review your existing processes and to roll out improvements. This includes undergoing training to look out for the signs and symptoms of mental health issues; starting a compassionate conversation; signposting people to occupational health; making any necessary workplace adjustments; and preparing for a phased return to work.”
World Mental Health Day 2019
World Mental Health Day is held every year on 10th October. This year’s theme was ‘suicide prevention’.
World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) have stated that: ‘every step we take towards preventing suicide is also a step towards a mentally healthier society. We will all benefit if we create a society where we can ask for help, experience less trauma and distress and where support is on hand when we need it’.
To discuss our HR support offering, get in touch today [email protected]
