Standard 1: Prioritising mental health at work
The Mental Health at Work Commitment is a set of actions, organised into 6 standards. Any organisation can follow these to improve and support the mental health of their people.
Standard 1 states that organisations should prioritise mental health in the workplace by developing and delivering a systematic programme of activity.
Parts of the standard
- Produce, implement and communicate a mental health at work plan, drawing from best practice and representing the views of employees across the organisation, specifically exploring feedback from people with mental health problems.
- Demonstrate senior ownership and drive board-level accountability, underpinned by a clear governance structure for reporting.
- Routinely monitor employee mental health and wellbeing using available data.
- Seek feedback from your employees and create clear opportunities to make improvements based on feedback.
Standard 1 toolkit
The actions you take to prioritise mental health where you work should fit into a coherent whole, with a clear ethos, purpose, and commitment behind it. Senior buy-in is vital – but on the flipside, involving staff’s own experience is critical, too. When employee involvement feels like not just occasional input but a fundamental underlying principle, real change is possible.
Developing your employer action plan
This guide from Time to Change Wales (TTCW) in collaboration with Mind Cymru is designed to help all employers understand and implement the Mental Health at Work Commitment. It includes ideas to meet each standard, things to consider, and advice on how to measure the impact of your actions. (TTCW and the employer pledge ended in March 2025)
Guide to developing an effective workplace mental wellbeing strategy
Building a business case for your strategy can help bring in senior-level support. Altruist Enterprises have created a PDF guide that will help you create a mental wellbeing strategy with this in mind.
Developing your mental health policy
This guide, from Healthy Working Lives, explains why a mental health policy is important for your workplace, and outlines who you should consult when first creating one.
Building an IGLOO for sustainable health and wellbeing
Developed by Affinity at Work in collaboration with University partners, the framework is a practical, evidence-based tool to promote health, wellbeing and inclusion at work. IGLOO stands for Individual, Group, Leader, Organisation, and the Outside Context. The framework can be used for a broad range of work, including who is responsible for what when building your action plan.
Mental health benchmark pilot assessment criteria
This document outlines the assessment criteria for the CCLA benchmark. Many criteria are aligned to the Commitment Standards. The benchmark is designed to incentivise major employers to create the working conditions in which every individual can thrive. You can use this to think about how you're assessing your organisation's approach to mental health.
Directors’ guide to workplace wellbeing
With directors playing such a key role in shaping the culture of an organisation, they are uniquely positioned to champion employee wellbeing. This blog from the Institute of Directors includes a short guide showing there are plenty of meaningful steps directors can take to demonstrate they prioritise wellbeing in the workplace
EVOLVE Workplace Wellbeing Toolkit
This toolkit developed by the University of East Anglia and RAND Europe contains free, evidence-informed workplace wellbeing resources drawing upon cutting edge research, and insider insights so that you can take action to help your business evolve and thrive.
Mental health: Thames Water’s approach
This short video from Thames Water explains why mental health is an important issue to them, including examples from staff. It shows some of the measures they have put in place, and encourages staff to get involved.
Guides to wellness action plans
Wellness action plans are an easy way to help support your own mental health at work and that of your team members. Mind has guidance and templates to get you started, for both employees and line managers.