76% Of Employees Report Workplace Stress, A 13% Increase In The Last Year: Expert Advises How Employers Can Best Support Workers

• A record number of people are not working due to long-term sickness, with one of the biggest causes for this being mental health amongst a younger demographic
• Only 1 in 10 UK employees with mental health conditions sought support from their line manager in the past year
• Fiona Robinson, HR Manager at Virtual College by Netex, delivers her expert insight on how HR professionals and employers can support employee mental health and reduce stress in the workplace

A recent report has revealed that ‘moderate to high’ workplace stress levels have increased by 13% in just one year among employees worldwide, meaning that over 3 in 4 employees now suffer from workplace stress.

This illustrates that work, and likely current social and economic climates, are having an increasingly negative impact on employees’ mental wellbeing.

And, interestingly, recent data has also revealed that a record number of people are not working as a result of long-term sickness, with one of the biggest reasons for this increase being mental health issues in young people specifically.

Fiona Robinson, HR Manager at Virtual College by Netex, states that “these are concerning figures that seem to only be the beginning of a considerable downturn in employee wellbeing post-pandemic. 

“Employers and HR advisors should take this data as a warning and ensure that their workforce’s mental wellbeing is being prioritised sooner rather than later.” 

But whilst members of the workforce as a whole are facing an increase in workplace stress and mental health conditions, data has also revealed that UK employees actually find it difficult to talk about their mental health conditions at work. 

The data from Aviva highlighted that only 1 in 10 UK employees with mental health conditions sought support from their line manager in the past year, with merely 14% saying they would discuss their mental wellbeing with colleagues and only 5% with HR or wellbeing officials. 

“It seems that this issue is twofold: not only is the mental health of the UK workforce suffering, but employees don’t feel that they’re able to express, or address, their mental wellbeing in the workplace.

“Unless both of these are tackled together, we can only expect that this trend continues on a downward trajectory, negatively impacting both individual employees and workplaces as a whole”.

Virtual College by Netex is a specialist online training provider that offers companies courses and resources to support employee wellbeing. 

Fiona has shared tips for how HR professionals and employers can best create an open environment for employees to discuss mental wellbeing comfortably, alongside ways to support team members’ mental health and reduce stress in the workplace. 

Increase Opportunities To Discuss Mental Health Openly: Amongst Peers And Officials

Poor mental health cannot be addressed without first increasing the opportunities for employees to discuss their problems and stresses in the workplace.

“There are a range of simple ways in which employers and HR professionals can offer opportunities for employees to discuss their mental wellbeing and concerns, whether personal or professional, that may be contributing to increased stress and strain at work:”

Create A Mental Health Time With HR Advisors

HR professionals could designate a set number of hours a week in which they are readily available to discuss mental health with employees. 

“This doesn’t require any additional resources or manpower. HR professionals would simply make themselves available during certain working hours where employees would be able to solely discuss health and wellbeing, and discuss solutions to any challenges they may be facing.”

This can be applied in both an office and virtual environment, the former of which employees could schedule a visit to the HR advisor’s office, and the latter for which an invitation can be sent for a virtual meeting. 

Either way, this offers a set opportunity for employees to voice their concerns and discuss their wellbeing, creating an initiative in which employees can see that efforts are being made to support their wellbeing.  

Assign Mental Health First Aiders

Mental health first aiders are trained individuals who are there to listen to, and communicate with, employees, helping to identify mental health issues. 

“Whilst this is a role that requires training, this can be a hugely beneficial initiative in which existing staff members can volunteer themselves to help support the wellbeing of their peers and identify potential mental health problems”. 

Mental health first aiders in a team speak volumes for a company’s efforts to support their employee’s mental health, demonstrating commitment, efforts to reduce stigma, and helping to identify when support is necessary. 

“This is a great initiative that not only creates a safe space for employees but also helps issues to be addressed in a timely way before employees get to a stage where they may be unable to discuss their problems.”

Create A Peer Support Network

Whilst also creating more opportunities to speak to HR professionals about mental health concerns, it’s equally important to improve peer networks within the company to allow for open communication amongst colleagues.

“In a similar respect to creating times when HR professionals are available to exclusively discuss the topic of mental health, it could be communicated to employees that they are able to assign meeting times monthly to discuss mental health with colleagues that they trust and feel comfortable with, should they wish.”

Equally, this time will create an opportunity for employees to develop rapport and build trust which creates a culture of openness, potentially making it more likely that mental health will be discussed in the future. 

Invest In, and Encourage, Tools For Boosting Wellbeing

Ensuring that employees are prioritising their mental and physical wellbeing during the working day can have important benefits including reducing stress, helping productivity, and improving the symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

“Whether your team are back to working in the office, or are working from home, efforts need to be made to ensure that they are reminded of the importance of taking some time for themselves to rest and recuperate amidst the working day.  

“Investing in services to support employee physical and mental wellbeing will undoubtedly have positive benefits also. Purchasing subscriptions, such as for activity classes or mental health apps, or gym memberships, are a great way to do this.” 

This not only offers a proactive way in which team members can support their mental and physical health but also demonstrates that, as an employer, you’re prioritising your employees’ overall wellbeing. 

Within a workplace environment, methods including mental health workshops or sending weekly newsletters with key resources to improve mental wellbeing can be a more consistent way to support employees.

And, equally, something as simple as reminding your team to go on a walk at lunchtime, emphasising the importance of taking breaks more frequently, or encouraging more team get-togethers outside of work, will nurture a culture of prioritising mental wellbeing. And employees will feel more comfortable doing so, shifting away from intense work culture.

Actively Monitor Employee Wellbeing 

Before enforcing techniques and resources to help support employee wellbeing, it’s first important to grasp to what extent your workforce may be impacted by stress and mental health issues. 

This will then help decide a course of action that is most appropriate for your team, in line with any specific issues or mental health problems that they may be experiencing.

“Feedback is crucial in any workplace environment to determine the satisfaction of your team. And whilst many companies may gain feedback from their team about overarching business goals or operations, gaining feedback about individual team members’ mental wellbeing is another equally important factor to monitor”. 

Methods including anonymous surveys that are delivered weekly, or monthly, to the team’s inboxes – which can only take 5 minutes of employees’ time – can be a great way to see the overarching feelings and wellbeing of your team and see if any action needs to be taken. 

Seek Expert Advice

Sometimes, finding ways to support mental health externally as opposed to internally can ensure that you’re gaining the most up-to-date and expert insight from professionals on the topic of wellbeing. 

“Bringing in a professional in the field of mental health can help gain an expert opinion on the matter, which is invaluable to ensure that your team members are getting the best support and insight that they can in prioritising their wellbeing.”

Sessions with professionals can be made as frequent, or infrequent, as an employer may feel necessary. These can also be adjusted based on the feedback gained from employees on how useful, or not useful, these sessions may be. 

Virtual College is one of the UK’s leading online training providers and offers valuable resources to help employers prioritise and support the mental health of their employees. 

The company’s Supporting Your Staff Through Mental Health course is specifically crafted for employers and managers in any industry, providing them with the knowledge to understand and support the mental health of their teams. 

Another accessible resource to improve mental health, which is available to all, is the company’s guide to mental health and wellbeing, which collates real techniques and approaches from those with mental health struggles, as well as insight on what actually works for them. 

You can find out more about the ready-to-go courses offered by Virtual College here > https://www.virtual-college.co.uk/courses/search?