Tackling mental health illness in the workplace

23/06/2016

Tackling mental health illness in the workplace:

According to a new report on the mental health of employees from Business in the Community, February 2016, only a third of employees would admit to stress, anxiety or depression as the genuine reason for taking time off work, despite mental health issues being the leading cause of absenteeism and presenteeism in the workplace.

• More than one in five (21 per cent) agreed that they had called in sick to avoid work when asked how workplace stress had affected them
• 14 per cent agreed that they had resigned and 42 per cent had considered resigning when asked how workplace stress had affected them
• 30 per cent of staff disagreed with the statement ‘I would feel able to talk openly with my line manager if I was feeling stressed’
• 56 per cent of employers said they would like to do more to improve staff wellbeing but don't feel they have the right training or guidance
• 70 million days of work are lost each year across the UK due to workers suffering from stress, depression and other mental health issues

Healthwork Advice and Discussion:

We understand that it can be difficult for employers and managers to identify when an employee is experiencing common mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and feelings associated with stress, bereavement and loss. We understand that it can be even harder to know how to support that person.  In responding to this need, at Healthwork we have developed our established counselling service into a counselling and wellbeing service.  In addition to 1:1 counselling we want to ensure that managers and staff are provided with support to promote wellbeing.

Healthwork have a number of counselling and wellbeing packages which we now offer and examples of these include:

• Group work (including promoting self-help groups) A distinct advantage to this type of intervention is that it helps to shift the focus away from individuals to incorporate interpersonal and group processes and set the scene for exploring wider social and organisational concerns
 
• Training (for staff and/or managers) Stress and mental health training promoting workplace well-being involves developing knowledge and skills in relation to the various problems that are likely to arise
 
• Preventive support We can now offer preventative support such as a Wellbeing check in, supervision and consultative support
 
If you would like further details on any of the above products that Healthwork have to offer or information on any other occupational health requirement, please contact us on 0161 831 9701 or alternately visit our website www.healthworkltd.com