Employee Mental Health Needs to be a Priority for Business

Nearly all employees will feel down at some point in their career, and it’s your responsibility as a business owner to lend a helping hand in their Mental Health.

Stress, depression and anxiety are some of the most common mental health problems in the workplace. In fact, they’re so common that together they affect one in four people every year. Whilst these illnesses aren’t physical – they can’t be identified by a bandage, crutches or a sling – they can be very serious and can lead to poor productivity, lowered morale and a rapid turnover of staff within your business.

What’s more, mental ill health can affect anyone in any business (just like the common cold) yet many managers refuse to accept that these non-physical illnesses exist – “Out of sight, out of mind; these problems aren’t happening in my business; my employees love their jobs.” This attitude sounds shocking but, for many businesses, mental wellbeing remains a taboo subject.

And it’s not just about working towards happier employees either. Of course you should strive to increase morale and ensure your employees enjoy coming to work, but acting retrospectively won’t solve the initial problems. 56% of employers say they would like to do more to improve staff wellbeing but don’t feel they have the right training or guidance – so where do you begin? “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.”

In order for their efforts to be successful, businesses must act to prevent mental health issues arising amongst employees as a result of their work. For employers and managers, mental health needs to be a priority right from the start, and not just something they attempt to address when the damage has already been done.

Continuereading this article by Louise Petty at is4profit