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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

Mind does matter

British employers warned over mental health fitness

With World Mental Health Day less than a month away (10th October), British employers are being urged to put workplace mental health at the top of their agenda, not just today, but everyday.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, nearly three in ten employees will have a mental health problem in any one year, and more than four billion pounds is lost annually on stress-related absences from work. However, in spite of this, there is still a huge amount of stigma surrounding the issue of mental health.

Right Corecare, the employee well-being specialist, works with companies in developing healthy workplaces and has put together some tips to help employers create a happy, healthy and efficient workforce:

* Develop a mental health policy - Accepting that mental health is a serious issue is the first step towards improved employee well-being. A mental health policy demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to its staff and its intention to remove the prejudices associated with mental health.

* Perform a stress audit - Companies which assess current stress levels in the workplace gain valuable information on the issues affecting employees’ mental health and can therefore go on to remedy the situation.

* Provide a counselling service - Staff often find it difficult to admit to their employers that they have a problem. Counselling offers a confidential ear where employees can candidly discuss their concerns, whether personal, financial or work-related, and receive help to overcome them.

* Train managers - Providing managers with the correct training equips them with the skills needed to spot the signs of mental illness and to work out appropriate action to help the individual affected.

* Improve physical health - Mental health is inextricably linked to physical well-being. Promoting physical fitness through exercise regimes, dietary advice and tips on reducing alcohol and nicotine intake can help employees to lower their stress levels.

* Remove unnecessary stresses - Long working hours, competitive behaviour and concerns about job security all lead to unnecessary stress. Removing these worries allows staff to concentrate more fully on their work and increases productivity, which ultimately impacts on the bottom line.

* Offer a stress management course - Stress management programmes allow employees to learn techniques for coping with unavoidable stress and nip many potential problems in the bud before they can escalate.

Kevin Friery, clinical director at Right Corecare, comments: The issue for the concerned employer should be to develop an understanding of the way in which better mental health leads to improved wellness, which in turn leads to increased productivity and lower management costs. Employers should include mental health in their workplace audits on a regular basis and act on their findings.