Are we any more able to talk about mental health in work?

So, how do you make your workplace more inclusive in this regard? How do you foster the sort of company culture that invites employees to discuss their mental health without fear of judgement from their workmates or unfavourable treatment from their manager?

Here are our three top tips:

Training

Sometimes, judgement comes from a lack of understanding and knowledge. If your employees are likely to make unfair and untrue assumptions about mental health, it’s good practice as their employer to offer training on the subject. This will help anyone suffering from poor mental health to recognise whether they’re in need of support and where they can access this. It will also remove some the stigma around the topic and hopefully encourage people to talk about it more.

First aid

Just as you would appoint an individual to be the first aider in response to physical accidents and ailments, put a mental health first aider in place, too, who could recognise common signs of poor mental health in individuals and signpost them to the correct organisations/support. And, just as you’d invest in a ‘physical’ first aider by sending them on in-depth, specialist training courses, ensure your mental health first aider is up to date with current practices and approaches, as well as any changes to the wider support infrastructure.

Ensure managers are approachable

Not just approachable, but relatable, too. You can’t foster a healthy working culture if the team leader/manager is held aloft as this perfect being who never suffers from any physical or mental ailment, who never feels negative, who never makes mistakes. We’re all human, and a manager that employees can relate to, and feel comfortable talking to, will be better for your bottom line. Dictatorships went out with the dodo; if employees feel valued and listened to, they will be more productive and loyal, both of which have a positive impact on the finances and future of a company. Managers should exist to support their teams, whether they’re having physical or mental health problems. They need to set the example—if team members see their manager treating mental health issues as everyday occurrences, they will too.

You may be lucky in that you’ve never experienced any dip in your mental health or any real adversity in life. That doesn’t mean to say you’re immune, though—who knows what’s around the corner? Imagine having to deal with an upsetting, stressful issue and encountering a lack of support from your colleagues—we spend a lot of our time at work, so think about how disappointing and isolating that would feel. Foster a positive, supportive culture around mental health now, because you don’t know what people are going through…someone you know may be in dire need of help right now.