How can leaders support their employees' mental health?
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HOW CAN LEADERS SUPPORT THEIR EMPLOYEES’ MENTAL HEALTH?
Mental health was once a taboo topic in the workplace. Now many high-profile campaigns have encouraged a more open attitude towards mental health. As employees increasingly talk about their mental wellbeing, do leaders need to be better prepared to support them?
Recognise the scale of the challenge when it comes to mental health at work
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, 81% of workplaces have increased their focus on managing mental health, according to Spill. However, the same study also notes that one in three employees feel wellbeing initiatives don’t meet expectations. Employees are therefore left feeling like they would prefer more support.
A Hays study in Australia & New Zealand found:
- Just 42% of the local workforce rate their mental health as positive.
- A 63% decline in good mental health compared to pre-COVID-19 levels.
Of course, many workplace mental health challenges were already in place well before the pandemic. According to Mercer and Business in the Community, 39% of UK employees experienced poor mental health in 2019. These mental health problems were due to work, up from 36% the previous year.
Meanwhile, 2019 research by AIA Vitality found that more than half of respondents experienced work-related stress. AIA Vitality observed this trend in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
How to manage mental health in the workplace
Employers have a responsibility to address employee wellbeing challenges within their workforce. Clearly, leaders need skills to identify issues and support employees with mental health and wellbeing.
Mark Edgar, Co-Founder of future foHRward in Canada, emphasises the importance of leadership skills. These skills promote awareness and confidence in managing workplace mental health.
Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio, a US licensed therapist and leadership advisor, highlights the key to effective leadership. He explains that people can demonstrate effective leadership by creating respectful and caring relationships. These relationships form the foundation of a mentally healthy workplace culture.
Research by Mind Share Partners reveals that many organisations struggle with managing mental health in the workplace. This struggle persists despite the growing awareness from leaders. Only 41% of employees feel mental health is a priority at their workplace - and even fewer view their leaders as advocates for mental health.
This imbalance marks the need for a cultural shift. Employees should feel safe and supported in discussing mental health at work.
Leaders should consistently review and update organisational processes and policies to create such an environment. Treacy Webster, Director of Talent Management at Ceuta Group, discusses normalising support mechanisms. Support initiatives could include mental health first aiders and wellness programs.
These efforts can help to reduce stigma and increase awareness and accessibility to mental health resources. Additionally, support mechanisms promote a workplace where employees feel empowered to seek and offer support when needed.
Share personal experiences with mental health at work, but only if you can do so authentically
Leaders can support their teams by openly discussing their own mental health challenges. Doing so fosters a culture of openness and trust. According to Kelly Greenwood, CEO of Mind Share Partners:
“Having leaders open up about their mental health challenges is a hugely powerful mechanism. This openness reduces stigma since it flips the stereotype on its head.”
Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio emphasises that leaders should be open about mental health. Essentially, leaders should treat mental health similarly to family, physical and other challenges. However, Ken does add that leaders need to be “thoughtful regarding when it makes sense to share these aspects of themselves”.
Mark Edgar agrees, noting the importance of authenticity in leadership. People build trust through genuine sharing. But leaders should ensure their experiences align with their comfort levels and the company’s supportive environment.
At Wellhub, senior leaders have led by example. These leaders have shared their mental health journeys to demonstrate understanding and encourage open dialogue among all employees.
Pietro Carmignani, CEO of Wellhub Europe, believes such openness fosters a supportive workplace. Employees can therefore feel empowered to discuss their own challenges, both mentally and physically. That said, respect for leaders' privacy remains crucial, ensuring openness is voluntary and supportive.
Promote wellbeing for staff with MHFA
Training individuals, including leaders, as mental health first aiders (MHFA) is crucial. MHFAs reduce stigma and promote mental health awareness in workplaces. According to Jilly Calder from Atkins, effective MHFAs possess qualities like understanding and calmness to support their colleagues.
Atkins has implemented an MHFA programme involving training from MHFA England and ongoing refresher courses. Jilly Calder is the company’s Vice President of HR, UK & Europe. She says that while they do have a number of senior leaders who are MHFAs, they have tried also to have a mix of team members from all levels.
Following a campaign raising awareness around mental health and the role of MHFAs, Atkins advertised programme sign ups. All MHFA volunteers undertake a two-day training course on behalf of MHFA England. If someone is an existing MHFA, they receive refresher training every two years.
This initiative has led to a decline in occupational health referrals and an increase in MHFA interventions. Calder highlights the importance of diversity in MHFA representation, particularly encouraging participation from the BAME community to better support all colleagues long term. Pietro Carmignani emphasises that while MHFA training is valuable, all leaders should also undergo awareness training to effectively identify and support mental health challenges.
Take responsibility for staff wellbeing: Pietro Carmignani emphasises that internal leadership must drive ongoing support for the wellbeing of staff. Despite external support, Jilly Calder underscores Atkins' responsibility for employee wellbeing in the working environment.
Introduce workplace mental health programmes: Companies could also consider introducing employee resilience programmes to combat workplace mental health issues. However, it’s important to first find out if these programmes suit the needs of the employees. These programmes can have benefits. However, some programmes can also suggest that workplace mental health challenges are the employees' fault, which could be problematic. Greenwood warns that organisations need to consider the company’s culture, policies or processes.
Focus on a positive company culture: Dolan-Del Vecchio stresses that effective leadership and a healthy organisational culture are crucial for supporting mental health. Webster concludes that fostering an open company culture is essential for employees to feel comfortable sharing their challenges.
Ultimately, promoting good mental health at work increases productivity and reduces sickness absence.
Interested to learn more about inclusivity and employee wellbeing?
AUTHOR
Berman Zhigalko
DE&I Consultant, FAIRER Consulting
Berman is an experienced professional in diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as talent advisory.
He has supported and led several client projects around DE&I audit and talent acquisition, with his key interest lying in building DE&I strategy, as well as DE&I behavioural change and activities.
Currently, Berman supports various clients across the private sector and is exploring new ways to embed DE&I into various processes within organisations.