Managing Your Employee’s Mental Health

Welcome

Today's PowerPoint is part of this workbook, please email rach@rachael-alexander.com for a copy

Welcome

• Congratulations!

• Interactive – please ask questions

• Practical guidance not legal advice

• Managing mental health is not as scary as you think it is!

Session Objectives

Understanding your role and responsibilities regarding employee wellbeing

Defining good mental health and how to recognise poor mental health in yourself and others

How to help your employees understand and take responsibility for their own mental health

How to have effective conversations with your employees regarding their mental health

How to take ownership of providing optimum working conditions to promote positive mental health in your workplace

Why Should I talk ‘Mental Health’ to My Employees?

• Business Productivity – Poor mental health is bad for business

• Job Role – A manager should have the confidence and knowledge to manage mental health matters.

– Recognise some signs and symptoms of mental ill-health

– Know when and how to intervene

– Know what additional support is available for you and the employee

• Empowerment - A leader’s role is to equip your staff to have the knowledge, tools and confidence to look after their OWN mental health

• Because it is the right thing to do.. 73% of employees think it is a manager’s role to recognise and address stress and anxiety in the workplace (ACAS Poll)

Why Should I

Not

Talk ‘Mental Health’ To My Employees!!

Today's PowerPoint is part of this workbook, please email rach@rachael-alexander.com for a copy

REMEMBER – YOU ARE NOT GOD, THEIR COUNSELLOR OR THEIR PARENT!!

Poor Mental Health is Bad for Business…

T

How Poor Mental Health Affects Business Productivity

• Difficulty in concentrating

(85%) • Takes longer to do tasks (64%) • Difficulty in making decisions

(54%) • Difficulty in juggling a number

of tasks (48%) • Less patient with

customers/clients (48%) • Putting off challenging work

(42%) • More likely to get into conflict

with others (37%)

What is Mental Health Anyway?

Poor Mental Health

• The way you think, feel and behave becomes impossible to cope with.

Good Mental Health

• The way you think, feel and behave enables you to live the life you want to live.

What Causes Our Mental Health

To Deteriorate?

The Start of Poor Mental Health

STRESS • We can all, at any time start

to suffer with stress.

• DEFINITION - Perceived demands placed upon us V.s our perceived ability to handle demands

Harmful Levels of Stress Can Lead to

Poor Mental Health Contributing Factors

Home • DNA/Upbringing/Trauma • Bereavement • Financial Problems • Relationship breakdowns • Family Problems • Ill-health

Work: • Workload (60%) • The way person managed (40%) • Balancing home/work (35%)

CASE EXAMPLES

What Happens if You Go

To The Dr. With Symptoms of Stress?

You can treat with the medical model (tablets) or you

can investigate the root

cause of the stress..(talk)

Emotional Resilience

• To support your staff in improving their emotional resilience so they are better able to handle tough situations which means whatever happens, they don’t get overwhelmed so easily.

• Absence

• Negativity/un-motivated

• Changes in productivity

• Mood changes

• Tiredness

• Upset/Tears

• Losing their temper easily

• Looking harassed

• Withdrawn

• Using substances

• “I’m fine” response

• Struggling to make decisions

• Problems with colleagues

Recognising Poor Mental Health

Genuine v Non-Genuine

Heads Up!!

• Trust your gut feeling

• Use an action plan

• Controlled Measurement

• Seek professional guidance

Action = Talking about Mental Health

• The quicker you take steps to dissolve the problems, the quicker the solutions, resulting in reduced productivity issues and their mental health deteriorates

• You are in such a powerful position here – you could be the only person who genuinely cares about their wellbeing.

• How good does that make you feel?

• What a difference you are making to their life!

Managing Your Employee’s Mental Health

4 Step Process

Balanced Responsibility

Mental Health is Joint Responsibility

Their Responsibility!!! Your Responsibility

• Discussing mental health

• Workload

• Offering Support

• Being flexible

• Adjustments you can make

• Signposting

• Following up

• Being comfortable with emotions

• Home Life • Facing their personal

issues • Taking care of their

wellbeing • Being adult-like • Receiving help • Professional Support • Listening to you • Being honest with you

•

What Causes Mental Health Issues to Deteriorate at Work?

50% of poor employee mental health is caused by a combination of issues at work and home (CIPD 2016) Work can have a huge impact on mental health and can promote well-being or trigger problems People working long hours and not taking breaks Unrealistic expectations and deadlines High pressure environment Unmanageable workloads Lack of control over work Negative relationships or poor communication Unsupportive workplace culture or lack of management support Job insecurity High risk roles Lone working Demanding clients/customers

4 Step Process

• 1. Create an awareness of mental health

• 2. Have the conversation about mental health

• 3. Action to improve employee mental health

• 4. Review & follow up

Step 1 – Create Awareness

How do you create awareness?

• Team Chats

• 1-2-1 Chats

• Awareness days

• #mentalhealthmonday

• Noticeboards

• Newsletters

• Emails

• Delegate

• Charity events

• Temperature Checks

What May Stop Employees Wanting to Talk to You About Their Mental

Health?

FEAR…..

• Future Prospects • Job Security • Performance Ratings • Bonus Payments • Promotion at risk • Confidentiality • Embarrassment/Stigma • Can’t cope • Weak/Stupid • Inadequate • Fear of negative

reaction

Step 2 – Have The Conversation

Step 2 – How do I talk about it?

• YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AN EXPERT!! • Use your leadership skills – common sense, empathy,

being approachable, listener, caring… • Reassure them you are there to help and be part of the

solution • It is not about diagnosing or finding a cause • Do not use medical language i.e. you seem depressed • Try not to make it about you but be open to sharing

your experiences • Reassure them it is private and confidential whilst

being mindful of what they are telling you.

Use Language That Suits You Both…

• “I notice that you have been…. and wondered how you are?”

• “How are you feeling, you seem a little down recently” • “You seem to be overwhelmed, is there anything I/we

can do to help?” • “Yesterday I sensed you were unhappy and wondered if

we could talk about it?” • “Part of my role is to look at the demands being placed

upon you at work and I wondered if you would like to give me some feedback?”

• “We don’t seem to have laughed much recently, how are you feeling about work at the moment?’

Once they open up…keep calm REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT A COUNSELLOR

• How long have you been feeling this way?

• Have you spoken to anyone else about it?

• What can I do to help right now?

• What support can we give you going forward?

• How may your work be negatively affecting this situation?

• How may your work be positively affecting this situation?

• What would you like to happen going forward?

Step 3. Action

Step 3 – Take Action The Equality Act 2010 & Reasonable Adjustments

Mindfulemployer.net

• Altering start/finish times • Flexible/reduction in working hours • Altering break times • Altering targets or tasks • Re-allocation of duties • Introducing a buddy system • Working from home (if applicable) • Working from another location • Flexibility with appointments • Training/support • Coaching/Medical Prof • Time out • Safe space zone

The Equality Act 2010 & Reasonable Adjustments (Mindfulemployer.net)

Reasonable Adjustments

• Employers must make reasonable adjustments to make sure workers with disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions, aren’t substantially disadvantaged when doing their jobs (GOV.Uk)

Equality Act 2010 regarding disability :

You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.

What ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ mean

• ‘Substantial’ is more than minor or trivial, e.g. it takes much longer than it usually would to complete a daily task like getting dressed

• ‘Long-term’ means 12 months or more, e.g. a breathing condition that develops as a result of a lung infection.

• Only qualified professionals can make this judgement – employee must obtain advice/evidence and cannot make that judgement themselves. Use HR/professional expertise.

Step 4 – Review & Follow up

Step 4 How do I review and follow up?

• Keep notes to protect you both and monitor actions.

• Obtain agreement on accuracy

• Re-assure that they are valued and supported

• Set a date to follow up and stick to it.

But…poor mental health does not equate to poor performance – with

the right support those struggling with their mental health can thrive at work

(Stevenson & Farmer 2017)

•

But please remember…

• You are an employee too!

• Who is there to support

you?

• Do not put all the monkeys on your back!

• Where will you get support?

Session Objectives

Understood your role and responsibilities regarding employee wellbeing

Defined good mental health and how to recognise poor mental health in yourself and others

How to help your employees understand and take responsibility for their own mental health

How to have effective conversations with your employees regarding their mental health

How to take ownership of providing optimum working conditions to promote positive mental health in your workplace

Finally………

• Do remember you are not GOD, you are not there to make it all better!

• You can handle talking about mental health due to the nature of the job you are in – caring.

• Some of you will be doing this naturally!!

• Don’t let fear of saying or doing the wrong thing stop you from being human