It certainly makes sense to have a wellbeing programme in place from both a productivity and ethical perspective. It also makes legal sense. There are strict laws in place to ensure people are safe and well at work.

Employers are under an obligation to protect their employees from the risk of injury while at work, but the definition of ‘risk of injury’ is broad. It includes the risk of injury to an employee’s mental health when work-related stress leads to depression and anxiety.

The purpose of health and safety laws is to ensure a safe working environment for employees. In the UK, this requires employers to meet health and safety obligations, covered by a vast range of legislation.

The Government’s Health and Safety Executive states that as an employer, you must protect your workers and others from getting hurt or ill through work. The HSE stresses that nobody has to have been harmed for an offense to be committed under HSWA – there only has to be a risk of harm. By not providing adequate signposting and support for Mental Health within the workplace, there is a significant risk of harm.

The most important thing is what you actually do to manage and control risk in the workplace. Paperwork alone does not prove that you are complying with the law.

So what do you need to do to comply with health and safety regulations?

Most of the recommendations relate to general safety; they are based on common sense and good practice, however the checklist does not cover the mental wellbeing of employees.

Employers also have a duty to check on their staff to ensure they are coping and not suffering from anxiety. This includes being aware of factors outside of work, particularly traumatic events such as bereavement or family breakups. An employer should be sympathetic to the impact of external factors. It should be noted that an employer is not charged with removing all stress from a job, such as deadlines or targets. A pressurised environment can motivate people to achieve better results. Issues arise when an employee is struggling with work stress, or if the stress is constant.

It is not always easy to spot when an employee is struggling with their mental health. Many people will suffer in silence, perhaps believing that reporting anxiety could be detrimental to their career or how they are perceived at work.

There are many initiatives that can help boost employee wellbeing.  The physical health of a team can be improved by investing in ergonomic office equipment (and offering expert advice on posture), offering healthy snacks such as fruit, ensuring everyone takes proper screen breaks and encouraging exercise (for instance, a lunchtime yoga class).  Creating a collaborative team culture where people encourage and help each other builds a sense of belonging. This can be more difficult to achieve when there is hybrid or home working, when line managers need to work even harder to encourage bonding.  Sometimes the simplest actions can have the greatest effects. Employees who feel listened to and get recognition for their hard work are more likely to feel happier at work. Feeling ignored or neglected can diminish a person’s self-worth. A thank you and genuine appreciation of someone’s efforts goes a long way.

Mind believes that employers should send a clear message that staff wellbeing matters. It asserts that: “Colleagues take cues from how leaders behave. When the CEO speaks out about mental health it can have a huge impact.”

Some suggestions from the charity include:

• Embedding mental health in the induction and training.
  Staff should be given information on how mental health is managed and what support is available as part of their induction.
• Raising the profile of mental health. Invite a speaker on mental health to an event as part of activities for diversity, disability or mental health awareness. Hearing from people who have experienced the issues first-hand can help break down negative stereotypes.
• Making the most of internal communication channels.
  Raise awareness through blogs, myth-busters, factsheets, and tips for managers, such as posters, noticeboards and staff newsletters.
• Encourage mental health champions. This sends a clear message to employees that you will get support if you are experiencing a mental health problem, and that this is not a barrier to career development.

How to Live Your Best Life in the Corporate world.

I offer a bespoke 90-minute Zoom Workshop packed with evidence based solutions that will build knowledge and skills including:

• The physical, emotional and behavioral symptoms of stress
• What happens in the body and mind when we experience stress
• Stress Coping Strategies to practice
• How to consciously take control and change the body/mind response to stress
• How we can take this further and build confidence, motivation and self-belief for the future
• An experiential introduction to NLP, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

Please get in touch by emailing georgina@georginasaycetherapies.co.uk to discuss how I can bring my ‘Live Your Best Life’ workshop to your organisation.