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Recent research from the CIPD Health and Wellbeing Report has highlighted a concerning trend in the workplace: 76% of employers have reported experiencing presenteeism among their staff.
Presenteeism is the act of attending work while not fully functioning due to physical or mental illness.
In parallel, theWellbeing Survey for Guernsey & Alderney identified the top three stressors affecting employees: work-related pressures, financial stress, and health problems of family or friends. Results from thesame survey taken in 2023 will be released later this year.
These stressors can significantly impact an individual's productivity and overall workplace morale.The findings highlight the pressing need for support structures within organisations. These include mental health awareness training, effective leadership and team management, and comprehensive support, which are essential for fostering a healthy and productive workplace environment.
Investing in employees yields numerous benefits for both the individual and the organisation. Employees who feel supported and valued are more likely to be happy and productive in the workplace. Some of the key advantages are:
Increased Productivity: When employees are mentally healthy, they are more focused, motivated, and effective in their roles.
Reduced Absenteeism and Presenteeism: A supportive work environment encourages employees to be more comfortable to take the necessary time off when recovering from illnesses.
Enhanced Workplace Morale: A culture that prioritises mental health fosters a positive atmosphere, promoting collaboration and mutual support among colleagues.
Improved Employee Retention: Employees are more likely to stay with an organisation that demonstrates a commitment to their wellbeing, reducing turnover rates and associated recruitment costs.
Having a clear and well-communicated support structure is crucial for ensuring employees know where to turn when they are unwell. This includes:
Clear Policies and Procedures: Well-defined policies regarding mental health support, including how to access resources and what steps to take when in need of assistance.
Accessible Resources: Provide easy access to mental health resources, such as counselling services, helplines, and support groups and organisations.
Regular Communication: Keeping the lines of communication open and regularly reminding employees of the available support can help normalise the conversation around mental health and encourage individuals to seek help without stigma.
Mental health training is vital in equipping managers and staff with the knowledge and skills to recognise and address mental health issues. Managing teams effectively plays a crucial role in creating a supportive work environment.
Pictured: Contact Guernsey Mind directly to find out more about work place training available.
Guernsey Mind, offers a varied range of training programmes, including Raising Awareness, SupportingTeams,Listening Skills, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), and Suicide First Aid (SFA).
Raising Awareness: This session gives a general introduction to mental health, looking at stress and how it impacts us, the signs/symptoms of poor mental health, what support isavailable and how to develop practical tools for positive wellbeing.
Raising Awareness plus… Perfect if you are looking for a little more focus on specific subjects. It includes the subjects covered in our awareness session, with a choice of additional topics to focus on:
Anxiety – looking at how we react to situations that cause us to be anxious and the impact that it can have on us if it is longer lasting.
Listening – learning how to become better at active listening and how listening effectively can support people.
Resilience – understanding resilience and how we can use it to our strengths.
Burnout – what is it and how do we take action.
Listening Skills: Talking about mental health can be difficult and awkward, but it doesn’t have to be. Nor do you need to be an expert to engage in conversations. Just asking someone “How are you feeling?” rather than “Are you ok?” can make a huge difference to the response. Working in groups, we discuss and practice skills of how to start conversations, listen actively and support people more effectively.
Supporting Teams:Developing skills to better understand the signs and symptoms of poor mental health and how to support the individual as well as the team. Through group work and open conversation, we also discuss the reasonable adjustments needed for an employee to return to and stay in work, whilst considering the impact on the wider team.
Mental Health First Aid England®: This internationally recognised course teaches you how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue. It won’t teach you to be a therapist, but it will teach you to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis.
Suicide First Aid: This City & Guilds approved training is evidence-based, interactive, and covers both theory and practical skills.Participants learn and practice the skills to help someone with thoughts of suicide stay safe from their thoughts and stay alive.
Guernsey Mind have developed a new initiative to help support workplaces to create an environment where everyone can thrive.
The Workplace Partnership is about working together to look at how an organisation can develop good practices and take realistic and suitable actions to enable tangible change.
Businesses can choose the package that suits them best and then carry out a survey, whichcan help guide them to improve wellbeing by targeting resources and efforts according to what the data shows.
Pictured: (File image).
The partnership helps organisations to gather concrete evidence to make informed decisions about how to invest in workplace mental health programmes and maximise benefits, including financial returns. Employers can then take stock of the importance of their people’s wellbeing and mental health and put in place effective interventions to support their people.
Essentially an organisation can spend time and money where it is needed and can measure impact by running the survey again at regular intervals. The latest report from Deloitte in May 2024 highlights the importance of investing in staff and that “for every £1 spent on supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their workforce, employers get (on average) about £4.70 back in increased productivity.”
An added bonusof investing in the Partnership is that the money stays in the island, benefitting a local charity and supporting people in our community.
For further information about the Workplace Partnership or any of thetraining run by Guernsey Mind visit our website guernseymind.org.gg or contact lisa.ingrouille@guernseymind.org.gg
This article first appeared in the July edition of CONNECT, Express' sister publication.
The latest edition of CONNECT can be read HERE.
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