Standard 2: Driving mental health outcomes
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 2 states that organisations should proactively ensure work design and organisational culture drive positive mental health outcomes.
Parts of the standard
- Provide employees with good physical workplace conditions
- Create opportunities for employees to feed back when work design, culture and conditions are driving poor mental health
- Address the impact that a range of activities have on employees, including organisational design and redesign, job design, recruitment, working patterns, email, ‘always-on’ culture, and work-related policies
- Give permission to have work-life balance and to work flexibly and agile
- Encourage openness during recruitment and throughout employment so appropriate support can be provided
Standard 2 toolkit
Physical and mental health conditions often go hand in hand, so it’s clear that a holistic approach to prioritising mental health where you work is the only way forward. People are a key part of the work environment, too – the way we behave influences the culture we create. From recruitment and onboarding to flexible working and email etiquette, coming to work can and should be a positive force for wellbeing.
Employing disabled people and people with health conditions
This guidance provides a summary of information for employers to help increase their understanding of disability - including mental health conditions. It aims to enable you to effectively recruit and support disabled people and those with long term health conditions in work.
Reasonable adjustments at work
If your mental health problem or that of someone you know is impacting on working life, it can be tricky to know what to do. Fortunately, there are workplace support options available that can help. This includes reasonable adjustments which are changes that an employer makes for an employee with a disability. We have information on what these can look like in practice.
Wellbeing in small business: how you can help
We know that there are unique challenges, as well as unique opportunities, that come with working in smaller businesses. We’ve put together a collection of resources designed to help.
Inclusive Flexible Working Toolkit
This toolkit in collaboration with Phoenix Group, draws on research with BITC members. It outlines the benefits of flexible working and sets out practical action steps employers can take to build inclusive flexible working cultures for all.
Night time workers' wellbeing
A free to download employer guide from Night Club, which combines science, new research, frontline feedback and employer insight. It's packed with information about the effects of shift work, and inspiration and practical guidance for employers to better support healthy, engaged and productive night workers.
Supporting freelancers in your workforce
Leapers exists to understand and improve the mental health of freelancers. Here you can access research insights, case studies, and resources to raise awareness of a sometimes forgotten workforce in employer mental health and wellbeing strategies.
Wellbeing and the employee lifecycle
This research from CIPD and Simply Health looks at wellbeing support through the employee lifecycle (page 12). It shows that there's a mixed approach from organisations in how they incorporate support for health issues or life events which can impact on our mental health. The report offers recommendations to help you provide wellbeing support through the employee lifecycle.
Managing sickness absence
Continued high absence due to mental health can put colleagues and the service you provide under strain. This information from NCVO explains the legal background around sickness absence, what support you can give to staff and the procedures you can follow.
Flexible working code of practice
Flexible working describes a type of working arrangement which gives a degree of flexibility on how long, where, when, and at what times employees work. It can be especially helpful for those of us with a mental health problem or experiencing poor mental wellbeing. ACAS's code of practice can help employers and employees understand what a flexible working request process looks like.
Wellbeing at work: factsheet
CIPD introduces the key concepts in wellbeing at work: the links between work, health and wellbeing, the five domains of wellbeing (physical, emotional, organisation/work, personal development, and values), and the role of stakeholders.