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Small businesses valuing good mental health at work
Posted Tuesday 3 May 2011
This is a guest post from Mary Boughton, Health and Safety Chairman at the Federation of Small Businesses
Stress and anxiety affects us all and can be difficult to deal with, especially in the workplace where there is more pressure to meet targets and deadlines. As employers, we can be unsure of the best way to approach and deal with a member of staff that might suffer from mental health issues in the workplace.
Conditions such as anxiety, depression and unmanageable stress affect one in six British workers each year, and the total cost to businesses is estimated to be as much as £26 billion each year.
But quite simple flexible steps can be taken to help manage mental health issues in the workplace and promote the wellbeing of staff.
I know from my own experience that making staff feel valued makes them work harder, but also reduces stress and anxiety. I make sure my staff have the option to have an on-site massage every month if they want to. We also have water fountains in all offices and provide things such as high visibility vests for those who like to cycle or walk to work.
But not all businesses know that it is these small things that make such a big difference to the wellbeing and productivity of their staff. This is why we have teamed up with Mind to publish the Taking Care of Business guide for small businesses, with tailored advice for smaller firms.
Small businesses are by their very nature flexible, often operating with only a handful of employees. Usually they know them all well and have a much closer relationship, often functioning more like a tight-knit family, and it is because of this that people tend to feel happier, secure and more closely involved when working in a small business.
In my business we try to be as flexible as possible by not penalising staff who have to take time off for things like doctor’s appointments or eye tests when these are only possible during working hours.
Our policy is to try never to say ‘no’ to a request and as a result our employees feel valued and don’t take advantage of our adaptable attitude. This encourages a positive team attitude where everyone pulls together and they know that their views are important.
The guide suggests measures, such as those I have got in place, as well as simple things such as talking to employees to see if there are any adjustments they might need to make their working environment, or promoting a supportive working environment through regular informal catch-ups. All of this can make a real difference without being burdensome.
Often just joining employees for a coffee and having an informal chat gives the owner of a small business a good opportunity to pick up and be aware of any potential problems. Meeting outside of work at social gatherings can be a valuable way to gain awareness of any mental health issues. Without learning these it can be damaging for both the employee and the business.
As small business owners, we are best placed to choose what our staff and business needs. This guide suggests how small simple steps can make a real difference to your staff’s happiness. As a result this helps increase productivity and performance.
Mary Boughton is the Health and Safety Chairman at the Federation of Small Businesses
7 Comments
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Here we go again, this time 1 in 6 experience stress and anxiety in the workplace. Lets trivialise real mental illness shall we by 1 in 4, then 1 in 6 therefore excluding those with enduring hellish conditions who cant even get a job in the first place. We all know whats in store for us, benefit cuts and workfare. Employers won't touch us and I bet you don't have ANY employees with serious mental health problems, just those supposedly suffering from the catch all 'stress and anxiety'.
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Yes, let's make the point about how much we cost you every year. All of us inconveniently sick people, demanding so much from employers while contributing absolutely nothing.
Good to know that so much progress has been made in the understanding of the mental health problems of employees. I'm sure that if I'd had the opportunity of "an on-site massage every month" (IN the workplace, of course), a "coffee and an informal chat" and had a couple of water fountains babbling away in my office, I wouldn't have succumbed to the "stress and anxiety" that has crippled me mentally, emotionally and now physically for so many years.
I worked in a small business and knew the family that owned it very well, but when I became ill their priority was the business - despite my "value" as an employee. "Meeting outside of work at social gatherings..." The last thing I ever wanted was to see my boss socially, even less would I have wanted to discuss my health problems in a situation that should be distracting me from those problems.
I'm sorry, but I find this simplistic categorisation of mental health in the workplace offensively patronising and the "there there, we care...it'll be alright" language does nothing to hide the fact that for the employer it's all about "increasing productivity and performance" above all else.
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Hi Linda, I'm sorry if you felt the blog trivialises mental illness - that wasn't our intention. Mind works for better mental health for everyone, no matter their condition, diagnosis or work situation. If you were working in a small business what could they do to help you?
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Dear In Despair, Thanks for taking the time to comment on the blog post - I'm sorry if you found it patronising, we didn't mean it to be. The costs of mental health problems to businesses are a economic reason for employers to support their employees; not a reason for employees with mental health problems to be treated as a burden to be ignored or pushed out. Mind wants businesses to create open workplaces where employees feel able to talk about their mental health problems - if they want to and on their own terms. As someone who has experience, what could the family-run business you worked for done to support you better? Do you have any tips for small businesses?
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Those of us with enduring mental illness can't get a job in the first place. Benefit cuts, sanctions, workfare are for US not 'everyone'. We are in a recession so of course 'everyone' will be experiencing stress and anxiety because they fear for their jobs, that is NORMAL. Tell you what, I would like to be treated like 'everyman' and not be punished for having a mental illness.
Mental health problems is a catch all. I have met people with so called 'mental health problems' and I would do anything tohave their life rather than days of isolation brought about because of my condition and society's reaction to it. -
Hi Taryn.
An apology from Mind is not necessary. My comments were directed at the writer of the blog, who appears to represent the attitudes of most businesses, large or small, with regard to the health (mental or otherwise) of their employees.
I have to disagree with you though when you say that the costs are a reason for employers to support employees. Businesses are run to make money for their owners. It doesn't matter how sympathetic an employer may appear to be toward an employee with long term health problems, the bottom line IS the bottom line - profit. If an employee is seen as a cost (above and beyond salary) the employer will look at the easiest, quickest way to reduce that and breathe a sigh of relief when said employee leaves. Unless the business has a commitment to employing people with mental health problems they will not feel obliged to offer any support.
Mind's aspiration for employers to support employees with mental health problems is to be applauded but in the current climate I think businesses are going to concentrate on surviving above all else. It's telling that your guest blogger appears to believe that it is as simple as having a coffee or installing a water fountain in order to make an employee with a mental health problem more productive. What is more revealing though is in her closing paragraph. She says this, "As small business owners, we are best placed to choose what our staff and business needs." and this will override any concern or support for employees' mental health.
What could the business I worked for have done better to support me? The answer is simple - very little. As much as I may have wanted to continue to work, I was ill, so ultimately there was nothing they could have done to prevent me leaving for the sake of my health. A little more understanding maybe. What sticks in my mind from that time is that their only concern and comment about my illness was to tell me that I had taken more sick leave than anyone else!
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Clearly the issue of mental health in the workplace isn’t something to be trivialised and I’m sure nobody wants to do this. Employers will need advice on how best to support an employee with mental health issues in order to sustain staff morale and productivity.
The free Health for Work Adviceline gives employers with fewer than 250 staff access to occupational health professionals offering immediate and confidential advice on any employee physical or mental health issue, including information about legislation and regulations. The call is free and the advice is free (0800 0 77 88 44). Lines are open during normal office hours and the website (www.health4work.nhs.uk) has a call-back form for out of office hours.
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