Employers should promote good mental health as well as providing support when an issue emerges.
The Mental Health at Work Commitment provides a framework to help organisations put in place the key actions needed to support better mental health outcomes for employees, and links to practical tools to help implement each of the six standards. Signing the commitment sends a strong message to employees as well as the wider community that mental health is a priority for the organisation.
The UK government has launched a Voluntary Reporting framework to support employers to report on disability, mental health and disability. This will help to ensure that an employer’s approach to inclusive employment and progression is integrated across the organisation and taken seriously by managers and employees. See the advice hub launched by Acas and BEIS for advice on ensuring that workers with disabilities get the best support at work.
An organisation’s culture, and the extent of awareness and training around mental health, will affect whether employees and line managers have open and supportive conversations. Employers should take the key steps below to better support employees and demonstrate their commitment to promoting positive mental health.
Developing people managers’ skills
Good people management can help manage and prevent stress which can be linked to common mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
Our practical line manager support materials are built on research showing the behaviours managers need to exhibit to engage staff and promote positive wellbeing. They will help managers to explore and develop their own management behaviours.
Our joint guidance with mental health charity Mind, People managers’ guide to mental health, contains information, practical advice and templates to help managers facilitate conversations about stress and poor mental health. It also sets out practical steps employers can take to create a mentally healthy workplace.
Our guidance for managers on preventing and reducing stress at work outlines the key steps they should take.
Spotting early signs of mental health issues
Employers and managers should be alert to the early signs of stress and mental ill health, and know how to respond. Early intervention can help prevent issues from escalating, but employers should not give advice about a mental health issue as they are rarely qualified to do so.
Signposting to support
It’s important that line managers have the knowledge and confidence to signpost an employee to more expert sources of support, for example recommending a GP visit or referral to occupational health.
Various mental health charities (see Useful contacts) also provide helpful resources for individuals, carers and employers.
Fit note and return to work
A fit note enables the GP to advise on the effects of the mental health condition and any changes the employer could make to help the individual return to work. These can now be issued digitally and can be signed by a wider range of health professionals as well as doctors. See more in our factsheet covering sickness-related absence.
Review job design and workloads
Our research shows that unmanageable workloads are the main cause of work-related stress. Providing meaningful work with realistic timescales will help to manage the risk of work-related stress. See our job design factsheet.
Promote awareness of mental health issues across the workforce
Promoting awareness and educating the whole workforce about mental health can help to reduce the stigma and replace common myths with facts.
Promote work-life balance
Long-hours working is not a sustainable way of operating and will take its toll on people. An appropriate balance between work and personal life means people remain refreshed and productive. See our working hours factsheet.
Offer flexible working
Offering more flexible working arrangements can be an adjustment for someone who needs support for mental ill health, and it can also help to prevent stress if someone wants a better work-life balance to suit their individual circumstances. See our flexible working factsheet.
Address the risk of suicide
Organisations should have a strategy to help prevent the risk of suicide as part of their mental health framework. If an employee dies by suicide, the impact on colleagues can be traumatic, so organisations also need to have a framework in place to support people after a suicide. See the CIPD guides for people professionals and line managers on responding to suicide risk in the workplace.
The Samaritans can be reached 24/7. There's also the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a charity providing helplines and support dedicated to preventing male suicide.
