Ahead of International Stress Awareness Week (November 7-11), Cumbrian HR and business strategy specialist, Phil Collier Associates, is urging Cumbrian businesses to focus on the impacts employees’ mental ill health could be having on business performance.
Phil Collier Associates (PCA) says employers must get to grips with stress’s impacts on mental ill health in the workplace. It is part of their duty of care to employees but also a far-reaching issue with major impacts on business performance.
Studies from 2022 show 52% of employees (and 61% of women) suffer depression,. PCA urges Cumbrian employers to pay particular attention to female staff, with many having suffered more pandemic impacts than male counterparts, due to increased workloads and more household and family responsibilities. Younger employees, aged 25-34 are also particularly susceptible to mental health issues associated with stresses arising from the pandemic.
Only 9% of employees currently seek mental health support, according to a study by Champion Health. This is despite nearly one-in-four meeting the criteria for support from a qualified mental health professional.[i]
The impact of poor mental health on productivity
Poor management of workplace mental ill health can have major implications. Employees suffering from stress, depression and other mental health diseases are less motivated, have lower levels of concentration and are generally less productive. Some feel they must turn up for work but such presenteeism is counter-productive. Others stay away from the workplace on sick leave, with the annual number of working days lost to workplace stress, anxiety and depression in the UK being 13.7 million, at a cost of £28.3 billion.[ii]
Around 76% of work-related stress is caused by workload, whilst around a third relates to lack of control over job-related tasks and a quarter to lack of support. The actions of senior staff and work colleagues can also contribute to workplace anxiety.[iii]
Since 2019, the annual cost of mental ill health to employers has risen by 25%, suggesting employers are not getting to grips with this major issue.[iv]
Why Cumbrian employers need to address mental health issues
PCA is ready to assist any Cumbrian employer needing help in this regard, having already successfully helped some clients tackle a 21st century health issue, growing year on year.
“Mental ill health in the workplace is a factor needing to be addressed and managed,” says PCA’s Phil Collier. “Employers cannot ignore this hidden drain on resources, which often only manifests itself when an employee goes off sick. At this point, it may be too late to reverse the situation. Reactive strategies are of little use and a proactive approach, to reduce workplace stress, is the only way to tackle things. Unfortunately, over a third of employers never engage in such an approach.”
Being proactive about mental health in the workplace requires employers to examine both their company culture and their management approaches. They should consider whether or not their workplace promotes healthy work-life balance and whether it provides opportunities for employees to open up, during conversations with their managers.
It also requires managers to be sufficiently trained in listening skills and to create the means for employees to have the one-on-one time that would enable mental health to be discussed. Learning how to build rapport with employees and being honest about any of their own mental health struggles is also key.
Managers and supervisors should be trained in skills such as showing empathy, as well as being sufficiently armed with the information that can signpost employees towards the right help, or towards mental health professionals.
Employers also need to be flexible enough to change work roles and address workloads, if these are justifiably contributing to an employee’s stress.
Mental health management as part of recruitment strategy
“All of these strategies are particularly important in Cumbria, because it is so difficult to recruit new employees and there is a huge cost to employee churn,” says Phil Collier. “Our role at PCA is to help guide employers through the mental health minefield, assisting them by providing them with the right training, information and procedures to adopt, to reduce the impacts of mental health on their workplace.
“By taking a holistic view of the issue, we believe we can help the majority of employers become more empathetic towards their employees, identify mental health issues before they become a major issue and keep the business costs associated with poor mental health under very tight control. Employers need to stop viewing strong mental ill health management as an expense and recognise that it is a productivity and retention boosting strategy.”
Any employer requiring help with their mental ill health workplace strategies can contact PCA on 0800 0487 286. More information is at www.philcollierassociates.com
[i] https://championhealth.co.uk/insights/depression-statistics/#2
[ii] https://championhealth.co.uk/insights/stress-statistics/
[iii] https://championhealth.co.uk/insights/stress-statistics/ (part 3)
[iv] https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/blog/10-workplace-mental-health-statistics-2022/?utm_source=pocket_mylist
