Recent research has shown that mental health issues are on the increase in the UK and conscientious employers will, therefore, want to do everything they can to ensure that their members of staff are happy and healthy. To aid them, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has published helpful guidance geared towards developing a working culture where mental health is equal in importance to physical health.
Front of mind: prioritising workplace health and wellbeing argues that employers still have not done enough to remove the stigma around mental health issues, and have yet to realize the potential benefits of taking proper steps.
The report finds that, of those businesses and individuals interviewed, 63% see the importance of the issue and 52% recognize that whilst treating problems in the immediate term is important, in the longer term prevention is the goal. However, 71% struggle to see the benefits of steps taken by others and are unsure of what action to take themselves to be effective.
The CBI guidance encourages employers to collaborate with outside organisations as well as to work closely with staff members to both raise awareness of mental health issues and focus on the needs of individuals. It argues for a open, top-down approach to mental health awareness that permeates entire organisations, thereby encouraging staff members to be honest straight away when things are not going well.
Early intervention is often the most effective factor in avoiding a minor issue turning into a major one and, where necessary, a business’s taking a flexible approach to working may ensure that there is a positive outcome for both employer and employee in times of difficulty.
But the CBI’s advice is not just directed towards those in the workplace. There is also advice to the Government to avoid more increases in the insurance premium tax rate, to keep health insurance affordable, and to assess the ways in which pressure on the NHS may be reduced through benefits supporting health and wellbeing in the workplace.
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