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A journalist with 13 years of experience on trade publications covering construction, local government, property, pubs, and transport.
September 26, 2017

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Small companies “must take mental health more seriously”

Small and medium sized businesses must treat mental health issues as a priority, according to Professor Dame Carol Black.

Speaking to the British Safety Council, she urged SME (small and medium enterprise) owners and managers to get onboard with the mental health agenda.

She said: “One in four employees in the UK have mental health problems. Their symptoms include stress, anxiety and depression, which affect their own performance and wellbeing, as well as that of other workers.

“These are the key reasons why SMEs should start treating mental health issues as a priority.”

Short film

Her practical advice has been recorded by the British Safety Council in a short film, Mental Health & SMEs.

Black claimed that mental health issues impact small companies ‘to a much greater extent than larger enterprises.’

She continued: “Due to their size and fewer resources, SMEs cannot afford to have employees not working to their full capacity.

“The signs that the things are not well in a company are: poor productivity and employee engagement, as well as various symptoms of stress, which express themselves in growing propensity to take sick leave, increased turnover and presentism.”

Practical steps

Professor Carol Black also suggested practical steps which every company, regardless of their size and budget, can undertake to introduce a culture that promotes good mental health.

She explained: “You have to train your managers in people management skills and add to this a mental health component. Then they will be able to recognise the signs when an employee becomes less well. This approach should be complemented by training at a peer-to-peer level. Mental health first aid training will enable staff to provide support for their colleagues.

“This approach doesn’t cost very much, although it takes time to develop. It will lead to better staff engagement and productivity, benefiting both employees, their companies and the wider society. However, it has to come from the top.”

Professor Dame Carol Black will be a keynote speaker at the British Safety Council’s Annual Conference ‘Health and Safety: preparing for the future’ to be held on Wednesday, 4 October 2017 at The King’s Fund, London.

She will address mental health issues in the workplace, using case studies to demonstrate the simple steps that can be taken to reduce the stigma and support employees.

Anniversary work

The film Mental Health & SMEs has been produced by the British Safety Council as a part of its special 60th Anniversary Supporter Offer launched in January 2017 for small organisations and charities to help them manage health, safety and environmental risks.

The British Safety Council is addressing the challenges of mental health and, as a founder and supporter of the charity Mates in Mind, is focused on improving mental health of construction workers

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.

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