WHY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS

IMPORTANT FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

Mental Health Awareness Week falls during May so we’ve spoken to Chloe Angus, Corporate Wellbeing Manager at Cavendish Cancer Care, about how mental health can impact the workplace.

Every May, The Mental Health Foundation bring together millions of people to focus on good mental health for all via their Mental Health Awareness week. This year it starts on May 15th with a focus on anxiety. Anxiety is a common emotion that we may all feel but for some it can become out of control, leading to a mental health problem. In a recent survey by the Mental Health Foundation, 25% of adults stated that anxiety was preventing them from doing the things they enjoy. Anxiety and mental health problems also impact the workplace in terms of performance, presenteeism, and colleague and customer relationships. Mental Health Awareness Week is a great opportunity for everyone to talk about mental health and reduce stigma. But mental health doesn’t just exist for one week a year and it’s increasingly important for organisations to take a proactive approach to mental health and wellbeing support.

5 costs of not taking a proactive approach to mental health:

• Mental health problems cost the UK economy at least £117.9 billion annually: that’s 5% of UK GDP (Mental Health Foundation and London School of Economics and Political Science).

• Missing out on an improved ‘return on investment’ – employers who invest in the mental health of their team can expect to get an average return of £5 for every £1 spent (Deloitte, 2022).

• Talented staff leaving or not choosing to work for your company.

• A negative effect on employee engagement, morale and reputation.

• Unhealthy working practices, leading to ineffective work performances and customer complaints.

At Cavendish Wellbeing, we help organisations to improve their culture around mental health. We offer workplace sessions on a variety of topics as well as Mental Health First Aid training. Here are my five top tips for a better mental health aware culture:

• Create a cross-functional wellbeing team to understand and help respond to the real needs of your staff.

• Train Mental Health First Aiders and Champions throughout the organisation, not just in HR.

• Model wellbeing habits, open conversations and vulnerability at all levels of the business, including senior management.

• Make signposting to services and resources clear and accessible.

There are so many great resources available online including apps and podcasts that can encourage conversation within the team.

• Consider KPIs and company policies (such as flexible working) that focus on supporting ourselves and others, not just for commercial goals.

Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss how we can work together for the good of your team. We deliver a wide range of wellbeing services to businesses and every penny you spend with us helps Cavendish Cancer Care to support more people in the local community.