Hallidays promote National Mental Health Awareness Day

Hallidays Ethical Resourcing are promoting National Mental Health Awareness Day, today – Monday 10^th October.

Mental health problems cost UK employers around £30 billion* per year due to absence, poor productivity and recruitment. Pressures at work, ‘presenteeism’ (working when unwell) and the culture of silence that surrounds mental health can often mask problems.

• One in six* of us will suffer mental health problems during our lives
• One in six* of our work colleagues are likely to be suffering now
• 95%* of team members absent due to stress or depression will give a different reason for their absence

Mental Health can cover a range of conditions from anxiety and stress to depression and serious medical conditions.

Deb Cox, Director of Hallidays Ethical Resourcing said: “There is a strong business case for making your workplace ‘mentally happier’, however despite this mental health is too often still a taboo subject. Forward thinking employers are now placing the same strategic importance on supporting their team’s mental health as their physical health”.       

Deb recommends reading a great guide to understanding and managing mental health in the workplace “Promoting Positive Mental Health at Work”, produced by ACAS and the NHS’s Mindful Employer initiative.

In addition, employers can join the Time to Change Pledge, which is as an inspirational statement to employees, clients and the public that your organisation is taking action to tackle the stigma and discrimination around mental health.

Some practical things that you can do:

• Take care of yourself
• Help team members to take care of themselves
• Monitor workloads and work pressures
• Ensure staff know they can talk to you
• Promote good mental health in the work place
• Have supporting HR policies and processes in place that focus on providing support when your team members need it

* Source: Promoting positive mental health at work, ACAS.