Awareness events can provide longer term benefits in workplaces, particularly when backed by C-suite support. Sam Barrett hears more
This year’s World Mental Health Day, on 10th October, focused on prioritising mental health in the workplace. And, with modern work practices putting employees under increasing pressure, organisations must take advantage of every opportunity to raise awareness of the support they provide to employees.
The statistics point to the extent of the issue. A report by the Health Foundation found that mental ill health is the most common cause of work-limiting conditions among those aged 44 and younger, with the proportion of those aged 16-34 reporting conditions quadrupling over the last decade.
Neither is there any sign of respite. Mercer’s 2024 Global Talent Trends Study shows that 82 per cent of employees feel at risk of burnout.
The increase in workplace mental ill health is down to a range of factors according to Debra Clark, head of wellbeing at Towergate Health & Protection. “Hybrid working can cause isolation, loneliness and anxiety around feelings of belonging or developing with the organisation,” she says. “Employees are also dealing with a lot of change and uncertainty, whether that’s the pandemic; the cost of living crisis, or the tough economy. It’s easy to start catastrophising.”
Shifts in the workplace are making it more challenging for organisations to support employee mental health too. “The workplace is intergenerational, with each generation holding its own understanding and expectation of work and mental health,” says Dr Suba M, medical director at Aviva UK Health. “Responding to these different attitudes can mean extra work for employers.”
New interventions and techniques
It’s also meant a slew of new tools and approaches to support workplace mental health and wellbeing. “Interventions have evolved to ensure there’s something for everyone,” says Kathryn Vellacott, business development manager at WPA. “As well as more traditional counselling, employees can now access a wider range of support including talking and art therapies, mindfulness and online apps to track mood.”
Technology has been key to improving delivery too, enabling employees to seek help through digital platforms rather than face-to-face. But, as Dr Wolfgang Seidl, partner and workplace health consulting lead at Mercer Marsh Benefits, explains, the latest developments embrace artificial intelligence (AI). “We’re seeing
new AI-driven diagnostic tools,” he says. “By looking at images for a few minutes, these tools can assess the response and diagnose whether someone has a mental health condition such as depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder.”
Faster, smarter ways to diagnose and support employees are welcome but Dr Seidl warns against over-reliance on technology. “We need to be cautious with technology. Any intervention must be evidence-based,” he explains. “It’s also important to offer alternatives as not everyone wants to use technology for their mental health.”
Change is also happening to the stalwart of workplace mental health, the employee assistance programme (EAP). Dr Seidl says some now offer up to 25 sessions, rather than the standard eight, and are extending their services to children and youth mental health. “These are positive steps but they could have implications for price,” he adds.
Promotional activity
As the number of services available to employees increases, it becomes even more important for organisations to have a robust benefits communications programme in place. “An employer can’t just put a load of tools and support in place and leave it,” says Clark. “Employees’ needs change: employers must constantly promote the services and support they offer, using a range of media to reach as many people as possible.”
Using an awareness event such as World Mental Health Day, Stress Awareness Month in April, or Mental Health Awareness Week in May can be a powerful hook for promotions. Vellacott says these events are often high profile. “They’ll usually be covered both in and outside the workplace and will often be endorsed by celebrities and sports people,” she explains. “This can make them an effective way to promote workplace mental health support.”
Dr Seidl agrees. “It can sound superficial to have a day or month dedicated to mental health but it can be a really good way to raise awareness and remove any stigmas around it. By having a formal day, there’s no escape.”
Value of awareness
The argument for awareness days is supported by return on investment figures from Deloitte (Mental health and employers: The case for investment – pandemic and beyond, 2022) which show that raising awareness of mental health issues has the highest return on investment, at £5.60 for £1 invested. This is ahead of proactive interventions which support employee mental health at an early stage at £5.00 per £1 and reactive interventions, where an employee is provided with support when their mental health has deteriorated, at £3.40.
But, while they may offer the biggest bang for the buck, all the experts agree that running an awareness event in isolation isn’t enough. “If it’s just a tick box exercise, it will feel inauthentic and won’t land with employees,” explains Dr M. “Where it works well, it’s part of the cultural architecture, with support from senior management, line managers and employee resource groups. It has to be a holistic approach.”
Culture shift
Creating the right culture in the workplace is far from simple though, requiring input from all areas of an organisation. “Culture is the magic that happens when people feel heard, valued and respected,” says Suzanne Clarkson, partner at organisational change management consultants The Chalfont Project. “It’s the result of social copying on a peer-to-peer basis, supported by leaders acting with humility and creating the conditions for contribution and challenge.”
While this culture can’t be ‘magicked’ overnight, there are several steps that organisations can take to kickstart the shift. Vellacott says organisations need to embed mental health across
all areas of the business. “It needs to feature in everything from a
new starter induction to regular one-to-ones with a manager. Mental health training and refresher sessions, resilience workshops and champions can all help to make it part of the company’s DNA,” she says.
As they are instrumental in setting tone and expectations, line managers have a particularly key role to play. “Line managers must be empowered to support employees,” says Clark. “As well as understanding the mental health support that’s available, they need to be able to safeguard employees. If employees have to work long hours, line managers must be able to provide appropriate support.”
New ways of thinking
Equipping line managers with these skills is well-recognised but Dr Seidl has seen the focus shift for mental health training. “Over the last 18 months I’ve been asked to run C-suite training,” he explains. “HR has found that while line managers are performing well when it comes to supporting employee mental health, the C-suite isn’t always engaged. They might not normally take the risk of role-playing, preferring to leave that to other parts of the business but they now recognise the role they have in driving culture change.”
The quest to create the right culture means that some organisations are looking to experts in peer-to-peer behavioural change for help. “These experts, along with data and insights specialists, can help overcome the current siloed views of what’s working and what isn’t when it comes to mental health in the modern workplace,” says Clarkson. “There’s nothing to stop advisers collaborating with, and signposting to, these experts.”
So, while World Mental Health Day may be a great opportunity to raise awareness of the support provided to employees, it’s also a good time for organisations to assess their culture and where any improvements could be made.