It’s no secret that mental health in the workplace is a hot topic, and with good reason. According to Mental Health America, over 70 million adults suffer from mental illness in the United States every year, costing companies around $190 billion in lost productivity and increased healthcare costs. As our workplaces become increasingly competitive and stressful, employers must work to create supportive work environments where people can feel comfortable discussing their mental health concerns and getting the help they need to stay healthy at work. But how do you balance this with ensuring workers maintain a healthy level of productivity?
What Is Mental Health?
Mental health refers to how we think, feel, and act as we cope with life’s experiences. It affects our ability to enjoy life and can impact our personal, social, work, and family relationships. Our mental health also affects how we deal with challenges and stress in our lives. Having good mental health helps us achieve our full potential, cope with the stresses of life, and contribute to society. Good mental health also helps prevent illnesses such as anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, and schizophrenia by enabling better self-care, healthy eating habits, and overall well-being.
Importance Of Mental Health In The Workplace?
To be a successful business, employers need to focus on mental health as much as they do the physical well-being of their employees. A lot of people feel that we are at a tipping point in the mental health crisis in our country and for those struggling with mental health at work, this can make their experiences much more difficult.
Mental health employers’ duty of care is important because of the negative consequences lack of good mental health has had on society. Depression rates have doubled in the last 25 years and suicide rates have tripled since 1950 according to NHS data. So it’s not surprising that so many workplaces are taking steps to ensure their employee’s mental health is looked after.
From offering employee benefits such as gym memberships or mindfulness courses to encouraging staff training programs that promote better mental health, there are numerous ways you can take proactive steps toward helping your employees stay healthy and happy.
The recent Healthy Mindset Programme from Stonewall, for example, helps companies change workplace culture by giving staff the tools to manage stress, recognize warning signs of depression or anxiety, develop strategies for coping with pressure, and minimize discrimination.
What Are Some Common Mental Illnesses In The Workforce?
Several common mental illnesses can impact those in the workforce. Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder affect about 1 in 5 people or close to 20% of the population. These disorders can have major effects on someone’s social life and personal relationships, which is one reason why it is so important for workplaces to try to combat these conditions by implementing education and training opportunities for employees and managers.
Training and awareness initiatives will help more employers understand what they can do to better support their employees’ mental health, like implementing flexible work hours when possible or allowing those who need time off to take time off without feeling stigmatized. They’ll also make clear that there are resources available if they feel they might be experiencing symptoms of a mental illness.
Unfortunately, many people feel like mental illness is just a way to get out of work or out of responsibilities. In reality, many individuals with common mental illnesses are hard workers and do their best to stay on top of their workloads and responsibilities to continue with their daily lives as normally as possible. However, they still may need time off or special accommodations to help them continue doing their jobs well if they’re experiencing certain symptoms related to those conditions.
How Does Stress At Work Affect My Mental Health?
Stress at work can have a huge impact on your mental health. Mental Health in the Workplace training deals with both sides of the coin, as it looks at how workplaces can do more to prevent stress, such as through Mental Health in the Workplace training and tools, and how staff can look after their mental health. Though they can be challenging, there are many ways that you can take care of yourself when dealing with stress and managing a demanding job. If you’re struggling with mental health at work or unsure where to start, contact a consultant for advice on ways to manage workplace pressure.
Staying calm can be especially difficult when dealing with mental health problems. Mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety, can make everyday tasks seem impossible and make you feel like no one understands how you’re feeling. But if you feel that your mental health at work is being affected by stress, it may be time to reach out for support. Many people can help in a crisis, including employers, colleagues, family members, and friends.
It can be helpful to talk about your feelings with someone who has experience in these areas. Of course, employers need to ensure that employees can access confidential help from outside sources without fear of any repercussions from the employer – this would constitute mental health discrimination at work.
READ: Advantages And Disadvantages Of Wellness Programs In The Workplace
We know that even just one bad day can affect our mood for days after; imagine what constant exposure to stressful situations does over time!
Should I Disclose My Mental Illness To My Employer?
Disclosing your mental illness to your employer may open you up to discrimination. Make sure to mention that if you are protected by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and other federal or state laws, it is not always required for you to disclose your disability to be protected from unlawful discrimination at work.
Mental Health In The Workplace Policy
One-third of people in the workplace have a mental health problem and 60% have experienced mental distress. It is important to integrate mental health considerations into the workplace for both employers and employees, to ensure that everyone can work well and enjoy work. Like the Mental Health In The Workplace Policy from APM strives to make all businesses aware of the importance of creating healthy workplaces where employees are not stigmatized but supported and encouraged.
If we want to create productive workplaces, it’s important that our employees are happy, fulfilled, and engaged – no matter what their working environment looks like. As such, adopting practices for inclusive environments and promoting good mental health is key to developing more inclusive cultures at work. With this policy in place, we can be confident that our employees will be happy, healthy, and successful at work!
Examples Of Mental Health Discrimination At Work?
For many people with mental health issues, their workplace is the best place to access support. However, for some, this isn’t the case. In 2016, nearly half of those surveyed said they experienced discrimination because of their mental health condition in the last year. Research by Mind also found that one in four employees suffer stress-related depression at work due to issues such as bullying and harassment.
Employees with mental health issues can often be seen as problematic. Some may even use it as an excuse to leave work early or get time off to recover. However, you must be aware of how employees should be treated with mental health conditions in your workplace, so they’re not discriminated against.
For example, don’t pressure someone into coming back to work before they are ready. Provide them with adequate support and make sure they know what resources are available if things start to escalate. It’s also crucial that employers keep an open dialogue about mental health at all levels of the organization – from managers who might have a team member who has been diagnosed with a mental illness, all the way up to top management levels where policies on managing staff wellbeing are being discussed.
Examples of mental health discrimination at work include being fired for taking time off for medical appointments, telling co-workers about medical appointments or accommodations, having caretaking responsibilities interrupted during emergencies, and receiving unfair discipline and harassment. There are many cases of employers refusing to accommodate those who have disabilities which interfere with their ability to do the job efficiently and effectively.
Mental Health Employers Duty Of Care?
Employers must recognise that they have a duty of care towards employees’ mental health and wellbeing, in the same way they would towards their physical health. Every employer has an interest in ensuring that the mental health of their staff is looked after and those on shift work should be especially attentive to this. It is important to stress that absence from work due to poor mental health can lead to additional problems such as reduced productivity and high levels of stress among other things. Employers need to ensure that they provide good support services and advice about mental health so as not to contribute any more than necessary.
Research has shown that as many as 43% of employees find that their job is damaging to their mental health and well-being. This means employers should be looking at how they can minimize these negative impacts and provide clear steps on how they are going to implement a duty of care towards their employees’ mental health and well-being.
Mental Health In The Workplace Training UK
While many people know that good physical health is important, there has been less focus on the importance of mental health in the workplace. A new Mental Health In The Workplace Training UK initiative is designed to help with this. Designed as a 1-hour long training program, it has proven highly successful, with an 80% reduction in stress and more than half of the participants going on to ask for more assistance from their employers.
The training is designed to tackle stigma around mental health and promote mental well-being as part of a holistic approach to health. It is also intended to help participants learn how to recognize signs that someone may be struggling, and what can be done if they are. This allows them to support both themselves and their colleagues when dealing with stress or anxiety.
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Everyone is affected by mental health issues at some point in their lives, whether it’s stress, anxiety, or other concerns. By learning how to prevent and deal with these problems, everyone can take a step towards improving their own well-being and that of others. This allows workplaces to continue growing as supportive places for both employees and employers.
Mental health training is ideal for a company looking to support employees and deal with any mental health issues they are facing. However, it can also benefit any business that wants to create a more inclusive and supportive workplace environment.
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