Mental Health Awareness
The H&S Dept
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4 min read
Mental Health Awareness Week passed last month (11-17th May). It seems pertinent therefore, to spend some time looking at the importance of mental health in the workplace. This includes the role you play in ensuring this area of health and safety is not overlooked.
The theme of this year’s campaign was to ‘Take Action’. Specifically taking action to support good mental health. This important focus can span taking action for ourselves, for others, for everyone.
Your duty
We’ve previously looked at the importance of mental health in the workplace. As employers you have a legal duty to look after your staff, including their mental health.
In the UK over 50% of new and long standing cases of work-related ill-health were self-reported as being stress, anxiety or depression (Labour Force Survey (LFS) 2024/25).
According to the LFS the main causes of the work-related stress, anxiety or depression were recorded as:
- Workload (including tight deadlines, too much work, too much pressure or responsibility);
- Lack of managerial support;
- Violence or bullying;
- Organisational changes;
As an employer your duty to protect worker’s mental health means you should be carrying out stress risk assessments of the potential risks your workers face. Once a stress risk is identified you should be taking action to eliminate or mitigate those risks.
Take action
Once you have assessed the stress risks and managed what you can to eliminate or mitigate those risks you’ve made a solid start on supporting your worker’s mental health. But unfortunately, workers still may suffer. One in four workers are likely to experience mental health difficulties each year.
The earlier you can identify that a worker is suffering from stress, anxiety or depression the better. Encourage workers to talk to someone, such as their GP, their line manager or occupational health. Early intervention is key.
Whilst mental health ‘first aid’ training is not a legal duty, it is a creative way of helping your business support your workers. Having at least one member of staff trained in recognising and supporting the mental health of your workers will benefit everyone and is one way you can take action.
Wear it Green Day
Another way to highlight the importance of supporting good mental health can be through fundraising for mental health charities. During Mental Health Awareness Week there was a strategy to raise awareness (and charitable funds) on 14th May for Wear it Green Day. No, this wasn’t a day focusing on the popular American rock band of the 1990s/2000s!
Even if your workplace missed out on the official Wear it Green Day, fear not! Mental health awareness is not just for one day or week of the year. You can hold your own Wear it Green Day at any time of year, and the charity Mental Health Foundation provides free resources to help.
Next steps
Here at The Health & Safety Dept we are on hand to support your business when it comes to tackling mental health. Our services include carrying out stress risk assessments so that you can identify what the risks are and how to manage them. You may also require individual stress risk assessments for some workers and we can help with this too.
Our expert team can also help with training. Equipping at least one member of staff with the skills to identify and support those with mental health issues is money well spent for your business, so let us provide this expert training. We offer a range of courses for mental health first aid training ranging from half a day to two full days. Contact us today to get started.
