World Mental Health Day – How to Support Staff Wellness

Written by Matthew Roberts | 07/10/22 10:52

Monday 10th October is World Mental Health Day, an annual awareness day dedicated to improving people’s understanding of mental health, sharing tools and resources to support and improve people's wellbeing, and making mental health care a priority for everyone. In this blog, we look at the importance of experiencing good mental health - particularly in high-hazard industries - and share some of the things V12 are doing to ensure its staff feel valued and supported at work.

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH?

Put simply, your mental health is your level of wellbeing. Contrary to popular perceptions of the term, it’s not just a measure of happiness – good mental health is being able to feel pride, a sense of purpose and enables you to deal with challenges, manage stress and be productive in your family, friendship and community network.

So, we all have mental health - just as we all have physical health. Importantly though, mental health isn’t a fixed state – many describe mental health as a sliding scale of wellbeing, shifting depending on people’s circumstances. A person might feel happy, content or successful one month, but if they find themselves - just to use a couple of examples - experiencing money worries or a particular stressful period at work or in their relationship, their mental health can decline - sometimes over time, or sometimes very quickly.

A COMMON PROBLEM

Poor or negative mental health is a natural and common issue. 1 in 6 adults reported having a common mental health disorder such as anxiety or depression according to a recent Government document from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. Furthermore, according to mental health charity Mind, ‘1 in 4 people experience a mental health problem each year.’

And it won’t surprise you to know that the Covid-19 pandemic has intensified many people's existing mental health issues. Research institute IFS’s Understanding Society Study showed that mental health has worsened substantially (by 8.1% on average) as a result of the pandemic.

AT RISK: MENTAL HEALTH IN SAFETY INDUSTRIES

While good mental health is now recognised as a crucial part of leading a happy and productive life for everybody, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that it’s still not a topic widely discussed or prioritised in many high-hazard or safety-critical industries like construction and agriculture. This lack of discussion is a particularly big problem as figures show those working in these types of industries are some of the most at-risk people in terms of depression, stress and suicide.

CITB’s recent research on Mental Health and Construction revealed that the risk of suicide among some site-based male construction workers was three times the national average. (read the full research findings here)

SO WHY?

The Farm Safety Foundation’s 2018 mental health in agriculture campaign ‘Mind Your Head’ commented that Farmers ‘work long hours, often in isolation. They can be under significant financial pressure, often required to take on significant debt to purchase the land and equipment required.’ And any of these things can significantly increase the chances of experiencing poor mental health.

Furthermore, physical health and safety is often given top priority in industries such as construction. And while protecting the body from hazards is essential, this can often deprioritise conversations about mental health or levels of wellness.

Also very often, people who work in industries where there is a high risk are often seen as ‘heroic’ and ‘indestructible,’ and perhaps this is an image many are afraid to contradict or tarnish by talking about their fears, anxieties and appearing vulnerable.

The FFS’s Mind Your Head campaign also revealed that ‘four out of five young farmers (under 40) believe that mental health is the biggest hidden problem facing farmers today.’

And the word ‘hidden’ is key here – it suggests that mental health is still for many in these kinds of industries a topic that is uncomfortable or alien and should remain undiscussed.

However, just because poor mental health is common, it doesn’t mean we have to accept it.

WHAT WE’RE DOING TO SUPPORT OUR STAFF’S MENTAL HEALTH

At V12, we’re passionate about safety boots, but the number one priority is staff wellbeing. That’s why we’ve implemented the following initiatives and drives to ensure that everyone’s mental health at V12 is given the chance to thrive.

EAP SUPPORT LINE

We offer all staff access to an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which is a support line dedicated to the wellbeing of employees, where they can discuss and receive guidance on a range of issues including experiencing poor mental health at work or at home.

SURVEYS

We conduct regular anonymous staff surveys which allows the leaders in the company to hear direct, honest feedback from staff about what they need, what they’d like and how the experience of working for V12 can continually be improved.

FLEXIBLE WORKING

Giving our staff a hybrid working scheme is another way we ensure that the individuals in our company can work flexibly, because we understand that being able to work from home or have a degree of adaptability in terms of working hours can ease both financial and time pressures - and make a big difference to wellbeing.

DEDICATED TALENT MANAGER

Many companies our size often designate the role of HR as an ‘add-on’ to an employee with an existing role who might not have a particular background or skillset in human resources. But we have a dedicated Talent Manager who is 100% focussed on staff progression and wellbeing, highlighting again that it’s the people who are the number one focus at V12.

CHECK-INS

Embedded in the work culture at V12 is the importance of regular 1-2-1 check ins with staff. These meetings give employees an opportunity to talk about topics such as how they’re finding workload and challenges in their role in an open, transparent and trusting environment.

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDERS

We’ve invested in mental health first aid courses for two of our members of staff. This means they’ve undergone training to be able to spot the signs of a colleague who might need support and begin the process of helping that person share their worries or problems, which is, when it comes to mental health, one of the most important parts of the process.

THE BIG BREW: Band of Builders

The Big Brew is an annual campaign set up by registered charity Band of Builders to encourage those in the construction industry including workers and tradespeople to come together over a brew and get taking about their mental health.

These conversations can include mental health issues such as loneliness, anxiety or depression, and by talking about these topics which many who work in these types of industries have been encouraged to shy away from, the aim is to challenge and remove the negative stigma that surrounds talking about our feelings.

And it’s a stigma that needs to be removed – and the stats prove this. According to a study by the Institute of Government Public Policy Mental Health in Construction:

Suicide now kills more construction workers than falls every year, with 1-2 lives lost every working day.
26% of construction industry professionals thought about taking their own lives in 2019.
70% of respondents experienced depression and 87% experienced anxiety over the past year.
Stress, anxiety, and depression account for one-fifth of work-related illnesses, resulting in 70 million days off sick per year at an estimated cost of £70bn-£100bn according to the National Building Specification.

We were proud to do our bit for this amazing cause last month by having our very own Big Brew and donating the proceeds to help support the vital work being done to get people in construction talking about mental health and help reduce these tragic statistics. Find out more about the Big Brew here.

Band of Builders have also launched a mental health support text service, a 24 hour free Construction Industry helpline to encourage builders to get talking about their mental health and reach out for support if they're in crisis. Find out more here, or TEXT BOB 85258.

WHAT CAN I DO TO SUPPORT MY WORKFORCE’S MENTAL HEALTH?

There are lots of ways you can create a workplace that allows good mental health to flourish. Some of them are simple steps to implement, but they could make a huge difference to employees and their families.

Also, employers striving to support and nurture their staff’s mental health makes good business sense too - positive mental health leads to a happier workforce which makes for productive staff who need less time off. In fact, according to mental health charity Mind, ‘60 per cent of employees say they’d feel more motivated and more likely to recommend their organisation as a good place to work if their employer took action to support mental wellbeing.’

Learn more about this in MIND’s ‘How to promote wellbeing and tackle the causes of work-related mental health problems’ resource here.

Here are a few takeaways for employers who want to protect and enhance their staff’s mental health.

Regular check ins with staff can have a big impact. Done in an open and positive way, you can find that what your staff need and what you think they need for their wellbeing can often be very different.
Try not to see giving time off as a solution if an employee is experiencing stress or poor mental health. You can, in the way you support, listen and act, be an active part of their improving wellness.

Know what to look for – and if you don’t, invest in a member or members of staff by giving them the right training to be able to spot the signs of someone who needs support.
Reward and praise your staff. Acknowledging a colleague when they’ve gone above and beyond, been helpful or done their job well goes a long way and could provide a self-esteem boost that can make the difference between feeling seen and feeling like they don’t matter.

MENTAL HEALTH FOR EVERYONE

The theme of 2022's World Mental Health Day is 'Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority,' which reminds us that everyone has a right to enjoy good mental health. And this idea is encapsulated perfectly in The FSF’s ‘Mind Your Head’ campaign findings:

‘Mental health issues do not discriminate; they can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, geography, income, social status, sexual orientation or other aspect of cultural identity.’

Find out what else we’re doing to support the community in our recent blog on our charity work below.