Small business blog from Farringford Legal

October 10th marks World Mental Health Day – this year the theme is “Mental Health is a universal human right” – it makes sense, doesn’t it? 

The purpose of World Mental Health Day as always is to raise awareness of Mental Health and drive positive change for everyone’s mental health, so how can SMEs get involved and why should they? 

Well, firstly and most importantly it is simply the right thing to do. Savvy SME owners know that it makes good business sense to put their people front and centre when considering positive wellbeing. 

According to Mental Health at Work: 

• 57% of all working days lost to sickness are mental health-related 
• The cost of poor mental health each year per employee is estimated to be between £1,205-£1,560   
• As many as 84% of employees do not feel able to disclose a mental health issue at work 

The Thriving at Work Report 2017 estimated that poor mental health at work could be costing employers as much as £43 billion per annum. 

In an environment where the labour market is tight, and the cost of replacing an employee is high it makes sense to think about employee wellbeing and place that high on the strategic people agenda in any business regardless of size. 

We know that when we respect and support our teams and create a culture where people can thrive our people will deliver better results, stay longer and support the business growth objectives. So how can we make this happen? A few simple steps could make all the difference and here are some of the things you could be doing: 

1. Make mental health and wellbeing a priority 

Place employee health and wellbeing at the top of the agenda, let the team know that you are doing this and set some clear goals for the coming months that everyone can get behind. 

Mind has created the Workplace Wellbeing Index which is designed to illustrate where your business sits on its benchmark of best practice and policy. It is something to consider if you are thinking about setting KPIs around improving employee wellbeing. 

2. Train managers 

Provide managers with the knowledge and support they need to enable them to have meaningful and supportive conversations, backed up with action. 

3. Review how work is designed 

Unmanageable workloads are one of the main causes of work-related stress. Providing meaningful work with realistic timescales will help to manage the risk of work-related stress. Spend some time reviewing how work is designed to ensure that we get the best out of people and that work systems are engaging and manageable. Involve your people in this and involve them in determining how best to manage workloads and achieve business goals. 

4. Promote work/life balance 

Long-hours working is not a sustainable way of operating and it will eventually take its toll on people, resulting in lower productivity, and levels of engagement and will ultimately lead to employee burnout. An appropriate balance between work and personal life means people remain refreshed and productive. 

5. Provide support 

Aside from a legal duty to assess risk (and that includes stress-related risks), employers have a duty to provide reasonable adjustments to support employees with long-term health conditions and disabilities. Taking time to meet with employees, understanding their needs and providing the appropriate support. Not knowing about a specific health-related condition is no defence. If you suspect an employee is struggling and needs support, then start a conversation and understand what they need to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. 

6. Promote an open culture 

The best workplace culture is one where people feel able to talk about all aspects of their health and wellbeing without experiencing detriment or ridicule. Combat stigma in the workplace and raise awareness of not only mental health and wellbeing but all aspects of health including physical, social and financial. 

7. Create a wellbeing policy 

This should cover not only mental health but also physical health, once completed ensure that all policies and processes are aligned with your approach and then set out the tasks required to bring the policy to life. 

8. Start a conversation 

There is no time better than World Mental Health Day, to start a conversation about Mental Health. 

Useful World Mental Health Day resources 

World Mental Health Day - Mind 

World Mental Health Day 2023 | Mental Health Foundation 

World Mental Health Day 2023 - Mental health is a universal human right (who.int) 

Thank you to Kate Goodman for this article. Kate is Farringford Legal's HR consultant. She can support you in developing and delivering your Wellbeing policy and strategy and reap the rewards of simply building a healthy workplace where your people can thrive. 

Farringford Legal's small business legal services offer continuity, and experience and help save time and money. 

Our highly experienced employment law and HR team can draft all employment-related contracts and support SMEs with all HR and employment issues. Think of us as your in-house HR team!

Get in touch to see how we can help your business with your legal needs.

www.farringfordlegal.co.uk  |  info@farringfordlegal.co.uk  |  020 8941 7324  

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Please note that the law may have changed since this article was published.