Mental Health In The Workplace in Kent & Sussex
The workplace has become an ever more fluid environment over the past few years, but whether you are working from home or in an office it is important to make sure you take care of both your and your colleagues’ mental health.
Top Image Jason Goodman on Unsplash
The working world has had to adapt and evolve greatly in recent times with workers having to change the way their day-to-day life looks, meaning that mental health in the workplace is more important than ever. But more than that there have been new considerations as the workplace now has to encompass those working from home and the challenges that brings with it.
As the pandemic's restrictions have now been removed businesses are trying to decide whether to return to a more traditional way of working or keeping the adapted way of running a business. It could be argued mental health in the workplace has never been a more at the fore of society’s mind than it is now as both employers and employees look at the best way for forward for their work-life balance that benefits both parties. But whether you are working in a busy office or from home the implications of both need to be considered to ensure everyone’s mental health is looked after.
Here we look at some of the issues for both employers and employees to consider in the ever-changing world and how we can all support each other for the wellbeing of everyone.
Office workers
It's good to talk
The easiest way to keep an eye on people’s mental health is simple – just ask how they are. Employers can put regular dates in the diary for catch-ups with individuals and offer a safe and private environment for them to discuss any needs they have. Where possible try to be flexible with their hours and role to accommodate any matters. Employers should remember to look at the situation objectively and not be influenced by any personal perspective. By having regular meetings with staff, employers may be able to notice more easily a change in a staff member's behaviour that may signal they are struggling and then be able to make adaptions to the work environment.
Employers could also consider appointing a designated member of staff that people can go to if they have any concerns they want to discuss. This employee could be given extra training in mental health so everyone feels there is a trusted and knowledgeable person they can approach should they need to.
Take a break
It is also important that employers ensure workers have proper breaks. The Lacklustre Lunch Breaks Survey, from Just Eat for Business, asked the South East’s employees about what they eat on their lunch break, what they would change about their break, and how it impacts their overall productivity and positivity at work. It found that within the region a quarter (25%) of workers feel that time constraints to complete all of their work results in them being unable to have a full lunch break, and 20% admitted to feeling too stressed or burnt out to eat during their break. Skipping lunch can also exacerbate issues related to stress, as the NHS states missing meals can result in weight gain, low mood, mood swings and dizziness. So set times for a break and stick to it, get some fuel into your body and consider getting out of the office, even a quick walk round the block will get the blood pumping and give you a change of scene. Read more about the survey here.
Socialising
Giving workers the chance to get together away from the constraints of the work environment is also good for morale and mental wellbeing. It gives people the opportunity to get to know each other better, relax and share their thoughts. Then they may feel more able to approach a colleague should they need to. Consider setting up regular out-of-hours get-togethers in a relaxed setting, with no pressure for people to attend.
Ambition
Another way to boost mental welling in the workplace is to have training schemes in place to offer employees the chance to learn and grow and therefore keep positive with plans for long-term goals for promotion.
Exercise
A key factor in mental health is regular exercise, so look into setting up a lunchtime or after-hours activity all staff can take part in if they want to. Group activities make it easier to keep up a routine and will also provide a bonding exercise for colleagues. If money is a factor, a simple walking club at lunchtime will get people out from behind a desk and offer a change of scene. Alternatively, could some kind of gym or sports facility membership or discount be offered to employees?
The rewards of all these ideas will be felt by both the individual and company alike as having good levels of mental wellbeing can also increase productivity of a company. The Mental Health Foundation say: “Addressing wellbeing at work increases productivity by as much as 12%.”
But it is not just the emploees' mental health that needs to be considered, for the business owner being responsible for the success of a large business and keeping your staff employed brings stresses of its own. Being surrounded by people can sometimes be a very lonely place to be if you don’t have the right support around you. It is important to remember you are not alone, there are networking and support groups available to you.
Create a wellbeing strategy
If you want to look after the mental health and wellbeing of your staff but aren’t sure what to do next, then West Kent Mind say you’re not alone: “According to research by Mind, 56% of employers said they would like to do more to improve staff wellbeing but don’t feel they have the right training or guidance.” West Kent Mind can support your organisation’s wellbeing strategy in a number of ways, check out their website here.
Dogs in the workplace
And if you want to think a little outside the box when it comes to mental health and the workplace then research by fresh dog food brand, Butternut Box, has revealed the overall benefits of working with dogs, with 30% saying it boosts their overall mood. Interestingly, the research found that 67% of dog owners say they would be more likely to accept a new job if they could work from home with their pet pooch, while 61% say they’d be swayed if they could bring them into the office.
More than 1 in 4 (26%) say their dog helps to reduce their stress levels, while nearly 1 in 5 (17%) say it encourages them to have a much healthier lifestyle, including getting their steps in with a lunchtime walk. In addition, 13% of dog owners say working with their furry companion brings greater positivity into the workplace, as it boosts their office morale, while nearly 1 in 10 (8%) say it improves their job satisfaction. Read more about the research here.
Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards
Wealden District Council is one employer leading the way in how to help look after their employees’ mental health. They are a 2022 finalist for two awards in the Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards with the final being held in London in March.
Shortlisted for the Best Support to Remote Workers, Wealden council has shown support to its employees through the lockdowns and has continued to allow flexibility of a hybrid-working model, along with the wellbeing support that can be accessed from the offices and remotely to ensure employees have an effective work-life balance.
An internal group at Wealden District Council, called the Workplace Health Group, has also been shortlisted for the Team of the Year award. The group meets regularly to reinforce the importance of employee wellbeing and mental health. Over the last year the group has introduced a menopause group, boxercise classes, health checks, lunchtime activities and quiz nights. Councillor Richard Hallett, Wealden council’s portfolio holder for HR, said: “The council introduced the Workplace Health Group to introduce employee self-care, wellbeing and mental health. The group meets regularly to discuss and implement changes to benefit employees. It also encourages staff to be more aware of their mental health and wellbeing and to speak to someone if they need to.”
The Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards recognises the people and organisations who are helping to make a true difference to the lives of our nation’s working population. With more than 500 applications, the 2023 shortlist has proven to be equally distinguished and diverse, spanning numerous industries and corners of the UK.
Employees working from home
As both working from home and hybrid working remain a popular option it is important to consider the implications this may have. Loneliness and the feeling of isolation are a key factor to consider, therefore it is important as an employer you regularly check in on your WFH employees, and equally for those of you working from home you set yourself appointments to catch up with fellow workers, as it can be very easy to get caught up in your work and not interact with people for long periods of time if you don’t keep an eye on it.
Remote Reach remind employers to check that your remote workers know you have a mental health policy and how to access it. They say if you don’t have a mental health policy, then now is a great time to get one written as the fact that you don’t see remote workers everyday will make it very difficult to recognise mental health issues that may arise. An easy and effective way to spot any potential issues is simply ask workers how they are – apart from work, apart from anything else. Remote Reach say you should speak to those who report to you and ask sincere and honest questions about how they are doing.
They also say that it is too easy to get stuck into work and not take the appropriate breaks – especially when you can’t see co-workers taking theirs. So they suggest you encourage your remote teams to break often and take a full lunch break. They should get up for five minutes once an hour and take at least 30 minutes for lunch away from their workstation.
It is also important to ensure remote workers are able to have a healthy work-life balance. When you work from your dining room table the lines can become blurred between work time and personal time. Try to set up a timetable and stick to it. Where possible set up a separate room for your work that you can step away from and close the door on when you are done. If you are working within your living space then try to pack away as many of your work items as possible at the end of the day as this will reduce the temptation to "just do a couple more bits” in the evening.
Remote Reach suggest that you create a culture where work time and personal time don’t overlap and communication outside of work time is limited. As an employer this is also important for you as you need to have some down time too.
The small business owner
It can be very rewarding to own and run your own business and be your own boss, but that inevitably means you are solely responsible for the success and future of the business. We all have days of inspiration and days of lacklustre frustration whatever job role we play, but being a sole business owner can also lead to feelings of loneliness.
The Federation of Small Businesses say: “Making time to focus on the wellbeing of yourself and your team has many benefits for your business”. On their website they share five ways to wellbeing from Sport England, ukactive and Mind, which are: how to get regular physical activity with the active employer toolkit, continued learning through their skills hub, helping others through volunteering, networking events and remembering to take notice of what is taking place in the present.
Their tips for ways small business owners can support their own mental wellbeing is to make sure you set some time aside for doing things you enjoy, set boundaries between work and personal time, learn to recognise your stress triggers, looks for ways to move forward rather than fighting what you can’t change, and importantly don’t be too hard on yourself.
If you feel you need more support, the FSB offer FSB Care where an FSB Nurse can help you, visit https://www.fsb.org.uk/join-us/membership/fsb-member-benefits/fsb-care.html
An important thing to remember is that you are not alone and there are many small business owners out there who are looking to share ideas, thrive, interact and simply chat to the business community out there.
Consider joining local networking groups, these are a great way to promote your business, share ideas and get inspiration from fellow owners, but more importantly they also provide the social aspect you may be missing which is very important to some people’s mental wellbeing. It also gives the chance to speak to fellow business owners about the struggles faced and share coping mechanisms.
Check out the FSB’s event calendar for networking at https://www.fsb.org.uk/event-calendar.html
My Whole Self Day: 14th March 2023
Mental Health First Aid England are running My Whole Self Day on 14th March to encourage people to think about taking care of themselves in the workplace. It is a campaign for workplace culture change and empowers employees to bring their whole selves to work.
MHFA England will be hosting a live webinar 14th March, and last year’s webinars are available at
- My Whole Self: Create culture change in your workplace
- My Whole Self: Creating a healthy and inclusive workplace
Soon, MHFA England will be publishing a free Managers' Toolkit to help support themselves as a manager and therefore their teams.
Support & Networking groups
Working on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, is the Business Support Helpline Team and there are also local growth hubs to ask for advice.
The Business East Sussex Growth Hub offers a range of free online, telephone and face to face support available to businesses based in East Sussex and those wishing to relocate to the area. A team of experienced Business Navigators can provide information resources to help and guide businesses to sources of advice, support and finance. Online information includes a business networking calendar and local business news.
There is also the opportunity for relaxed and informal networking with Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce which is a local hub to access a broad offer of business support, and Network B2B.
Helpful Resources
If you feel you cannot approach your boss or colleagues and are struggling, you can contact Samaritans on 116 123 or CALM's helpline on 0800 58 58 58 which is there for anyone who needs to talk confidentially about a tough time they are experiencing.
There are also other groups that you can reach out to. Side by Side, is Mind’s supportive online community where you can feel at home talking about your mental health and connect with others who understand what you are going through. And Mental Health Resource is a local charity, operating across Kent, which supports people who have complex and enduring mental health conditions.
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