Freelance

Author Bio ▼

Jamie Hailstone is a freelance journalist and author, who has also contributed to numerous national business titles including Utility Week, the Municipal Journal, Environment Journal and consumer titles such as Classic Rock.
August 9, 2018

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Mental Health

Bosses urged to stop ignoring mental health in the workplace

Business leaders have warned it is ‘no longer acceptable’ for firms to ignore mental health in the workplace.

The Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), Adam Marshall, said too many businesses are “still turning a blind eye” to the issue as it published the results of a joint survey conducted with the insurance giant Aviva.

The survey of more than 1,000 business leaders found almost 30% have seen an increase in the number of staff taking time off for mental health reasons.

And one in three (33%) bosses have an increase in the length of time that staff are taking off due to mental health reasons.

But the survey results also suggest that bosses are supporting staff with mental health issues, with 35% offering flexible working options, 20% organising counselling for workers and 18% providing training to support staff.

Nearly half (49%) of those surveyed said they did not access occupational health support for their staff from external bodies and 10% said they were not aware of any available support.

“As the world of work changes, it is absolutely crucial for business leaders to pay ever closer attention to the health and wellbeing of their employees, especially at a time when firms are facing severe challenges finding and retaining the skilled staff they need,” said Mr Marshall.

“While legions of firms are now more aware of mental health concerns and acting accordingly, far too many businesses are still turning a blind eye to this issue, which saps productivity, morale and individual wellbeing.

“Our message today is that it is no longer acceptable for firms to ignore mental health in the workplace, and all companies need to step up their game.”

Aviva’s Medical Director, Dr Doug Wright, added: “Looking at our claims data for protection insurance we know that mental health conditions are the number one reason for rehabilitation referrals, and that early intervention by experts can bring a huge benefit to employees, helping them make a safe and timely return to work.

“It is therefore important to look at what health and wellbeing initiatives are on offer to staff to make sure they have a breadth of options to support them,” added Dr Wright.

“Doing so will reap rewards for both employee and employer. We believe in this so much, it’s something we are doing for our own staff already.”

The British Chambers of Commerce surveyed 1,020 businesses from all regions of the UK online from 1-11 May, 2018.

What makes us susceptible to burnout?

In this episode  of the Safety & Health Podcast, ‘Burnout, stress and being human’, Heather Beach is joined by Stacy Thomson to discuss burnout, perfectionism and how to deal with burnout as an individual, as management and as an organisation.

We provide an insight on how to tackle burnout and why mental health is such a taboo subject, particularly in the workplace.

stress

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