? EDITOR ’ S QUESTION //
Clare Price , Director of Clinical Services , Onebright
HE MENTAL HEALTH of
T employees has , quite rightly , been more of a consideration for employers since the pandemic . Clare Price , Director of Clinical Services , Onebright , explains how mental health is not black and white , it is a grey area , which is why there is no one size fits all policy for your workforce .
She said : “ People are complex , everyone manages their workloads and balances their personal lives differently . People prefer different methods of communication , and they showcase their strengths in different ways .
“ That is why it is important for business leaders to recognise that no two people are the same and that it is vitally important all employees have access to a menu of different support when they are worried about their mental health .”
Price said that for businesses to implement mental health support that is credible , it is important for business leaders to champion and endorse it .
By leading from the top and talking about their own mental health , business leaders and managers can cement a caring and trusting culture which in turn will encourage colleagues to speak out and seek help when required .
She added : “ Conversations can help to identify underlying issues and concerns that your employees have about their mental health and help you to gain a greater understanding of the support they may need .
“ Everyone within an organisation is responsible for creating a culture which cares about others . Encourage teams to stay connected and host regular check-ins which are conversational and relaxed , thus providing employees with the opportunity to talk about their work / life balance and anything that they may be finding challenging .”
If an employee feels like they aren ’ t coping with their workload , they are stressed or burned out and need adaptations to their work or role , it can help if managers are as flexible as possible to help keep the person in work .
Look at what modifications can be considered in relation to someone ’ s role , such as adjusting hours , workload , tactics , breaks or perhaps providing an employee with a mentor .
Signpost people to a mental health first aider in your organisation or an employee assistance programme if you have one .
Perhaps look to integrate a page on your intranet or employee communications system about how people can access national support .
Ensure all employees are aware of the support available to them .
??
Every month , we pose industry experts a question pertinent to the issues of the day . This month . . . .
WHY SHOULD SMES FOCUS SPENDING ON MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES AND WHAT STEPS CAN THEY TAKE TO DRIVE POSITIVE CHANGE
20 intelligent
. tech
Intelligent SME . tech