Taking Care of Your Mental Health at Work

a post by John M. Grohol for the World of Psychology blog



Given how much time people spend at work (usually about half our waking hours during the week), we probably should be thinking and talking more about mental health at work. Few small to medium-sized companies pay much attention to this topic, feeling that employees should just come to work, do their jobs, and be easy to work with.

Usually the reality is much different.

That’s why it’s great to see Britain’s Prince William addressing this issue head-on with a new website in the U.K., Mental Health at Work, that acts as a clearinghouse to better understand mental health at work. It’s a great effort and one I’m happy to highlight today.

Earlier this month, the U.K. charity Mind released the results of its workplace survey finding that half of workers have experienced a mental health problem in their current job. That’s an eye-opening statistic and should be cause for concern by most employers.

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It's time to end the workplace taboo around mental health

an article by António Horta-Osório published in the Guardian


 ‘More than 2,000 colleagues shared entries, which included simple tips such as simply having a walk during lunch breaks.’ Photograph: Alamy

British society has made huge strides in recent years in its willingness to acknowledge, confront and treat mental health, but the workplace remains an area where we continue to struggle with its impacts: and the costs are devastating.

Despite the fundamental changes to our working lives during the past decade – flexible working, the end of the nine-to-five working day, an “always on” culture and the rapid evolution of technology – there is one troubling constant: declining UK productivity since 2007. As far as productivity is concerned, the past decade has been the worst since the late 18th century, around the time of the industrial revolution, according to research by the Bank of England released last week.

While there are several economic factors that have caused this decline, it is time to acknowledge a less visible yet more pervasive factor: mental health and attitudes to it in the workplace. Mental health is a UK-wide issue, which impacts the economy each year through costs to employers (lower productivity, sickness absence, staff turnover), and to government (health and welfare benefits, reduced tax revenue). But tackling this issue is not just about increasing our prosperity. Crucially, it will make a big difference to people’s lives and wellbeing.

I have made mental health a big focus for my company as a result of my personal experience. It is clear to me that the most important change needed is one of mindset. We must move to a way of thinking that recognises that we all have mental health just as we all have physical health. As with our physical health, all of us can experience periods of mental ill health when immediate treatment is needed, or we run the risk of developing long-term conditions that will need continuing support.

Continue reading and discover not only an enlightened view from the CEO of a large company/group but also links to lots of useful information.

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Flexibility for who? Millennials and mental health in the modern workplace

a new paper from IPPR by Craig Thorley and Will Cook with grateful thanks to the South West Skills Newsletter (September 2017) for this item

60-second Summary

Younger workers face a future employment landscape that could damage their mental health and well-being unless we take action. As a result of the evolution
of the UK labour market over the past 25 years, today’s generation of younger
workers - millennials and centennials (those born during or after 1982) – risk
losing out on access to permanent, secure and fulfilling work. Compared to
previous generations, they are more likely to be in work characterised by
contractual flexibility (including part-time work, temporary work and self-employment). Relatedly, they are also more likely to be underemployed (and
so be working fewer hours than they would like) and/or overqualified (being a
graduate in a non-professional or managerial job).

For some young people in part-time or temporary work (particularly where this
involves being underemployed and/or overqualified), their experiences of work
may be putting their mental health and well-being at greater risk.

New analysis reveals younger workers in part-time and temporary work are more
likely to experience poorer mental health and well-being, while there is more of a mixed picture among those who are self-employed. Similarly, younger workers who are underemployed or overqualified also experience worse mental health. This is likely to be explained – in part, but not entirely – by part-time and temporary work being linked to low pay and insecurity.

Employers and government should work together to promote better quality jobs
that combine both flexibility and control for employees, enabling access to the
benefits of flexible working practices – such as flexitime and remote working –
without restricting autonomy and choice.

As well as helping to boost mental health and well-being, this will help to stem the flow of younger workers moving onto out-of-work sickness benefits, and improve productivity and the UK’s overall economic performance.

KEY FINDINGS

Trends in the ways young people work

Younger workers today are more likely to be in part-time work, temporary work or self-employment:

• 26 per cent of younger workers in 2015/16 were in part-time work, compared to 24 per cent in 2004/05
• 15 per cent of younger workers in 2015 were in temporary work, compared to 13 per cent in 2004
• 9 per cent of younger workers in 2015/16 were self-employed, compared to 7 per cent in 2004/05.

Younger workers today are more likely to be in jobs for which they’re overqualified:

• A younger worker in a non-professional or managerial job was twice as likely to be a graduate in 2014 compared to 2004 (20 per cent compared to 10 per cent).

Younger workers today are more likely to be underemployed:

• In 2014, 19 per cent of younger workers were underemployed, more than double the rate among all other age groups. The proportion of workers aged 16-24 who were underemployed was 60 per cent higher in 2014 compared to 2002.

Trends in young people’s mental health

Young people today are increasingly likely to report experiencing mental
health problems:

• 16 per cent of young people (aged 16-32) experienced mental health problems in 2014, up from 13 per cent in 2004. This could be explained, in part, by reduced stigma and associated increases in rates of disclosure.

Younger workers today are more likely to report poor mental health compared to
older workers:

• Employees aged 18-29 are twice as likely as those aged 50-59 to describe their current mental health as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ (16 per cent compared to 8 per cent).

The majority of mental health problems experienced by employees are
work-related:

• Almost two thirds of employees (62 per cent) attribute symptoms of poor mental health to work, or say that work is a contributing factor.

Mental health and well-being among young people in different kinds of work

Younger workers in part-time jobs are more likely than those in full-time jobs to
experience poorer mental health and well-being:

• They are 43% more likely to experience mental health problems (20 per cent compared to 14 per cent)
• They are more likely to fall within the bottom 10 per cent of the English adult population according to mental well-being (12 per cent compared to 9 per cent)
• They are 7 percentage points less likely to report being satisfied with their life, even when controlling for variables including household income and prior life satisfaction.

There is a mixed picture when comparing the mental health and well-being of
younger workers who are self-employed and those who are employees, reflecting the variety in types of self-employment:

• Younger workers who are self-employed are marginally more likely to experience mental health problems compared to those who are employees (17 per cent compared to 16 per cent)
• They are also half as likely to fall within the bottom 10 per cent of the English adult population according to mental well-being (5 per cent compared to 10 per cent).

Younger workers in temporary jobs are more likely than those in permanent jobs
to experience poorer mental health and well-being, particularly where they would prefer to be in permanent work:

• those in temporary jobs are 29 per cent more likely to experience mental health problems, compared to those in permanent jobs (22 per cent compared to 17 per cent)
• Those in temporary jobs and who would prefer to move into permanent work report lower levels of happiness and life satisfaction than those in temporary jobs who would not prefer to move into permanent work, even when controlling for variables including pay and gender.

Younger graduates who are in jobs for which they’re overqualified are more likely to experience poorer mental health and well-being, compared to graduates in professional/managerial jobs:

• They are more likely to report being anxious or depressed (22 per cent compared to 16 per cent)
• They are 14 percentage points less likely to report being satisfied with their life so far, even when controlling for variables including household income and prior life satisfaction.

Zero-hours contracts are causing poorer mental health among younger workers:

• Those on zero-hours contracts are 13 percentage points more likely than those in other forms of work to experience mental health problems, even when controlling for variables including household income and mental health outcomes during adolescence.

Pay and insecurity

Job insecurity and low pay are associated with poorer mental health among
younger workers:

• Younger workers who believe themselves to have more than a 50 per cent chance of losing their job are twice as likely to experience mental health problems compared to those with no chance of losing their job (24 per cent compared to 12 per cent)
• The proportion of employees aged 21-25 who were in low-paid work increased by 82 per cent between 1990 and 2015
• Young people in low-paid work are more likely to experience mental health problems compared to those in higher-paid work (21 per cent compared to 16 per cent).

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION

Employers

• Every company with over 50 employees should create a ‘workers’ forum’ in order to ensure that employees – including those on flexible contracts – have sufficient influence over their working lives.
• Employers should take steps to promote positive mental health in the workplace and provide support for employees who experience problems, including:
  – awareness-raising and anti-stigma campaigns
  – training for line managers and other employees
  – monitoring rates of sickness absence.

Government

• Central and local government should work with employers to ensure younger workers do not become trapped in low-skilled, low-paid work, including through:
  – development of ‘progression agreements’ whereby public funding is provided in exchange for enhanced progression opportunities for employees
  – the introduction of a new Personal Training Credit to widen access to lifelong learning and give individuals more control over their future careers.
• Government should establish a new national mission to boost job quality, and so report on job quality in addition to the employment rate. The promotion and protection of mental health and well-being should be a key component of measures of job quality.
• Government should pilot an expanded Fit for Work service, providing full sickness support for smaller employers lacking their own occupational health and counselling provision.

Full report (PDF 64pp)

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Having a mental illness doesn’t mean you can’t work – I’m proof

an article by Hannah Jane Parkinson published in the Guardian

Government research has confirmed that mental health costs the nation £99bn. It doesn’t make financial sense for employers to discriminate


‘The trust I am under has had some incredible professionals who have cared for me, but in many ways I have been catastrophically let down.’ Photograph: Getty Images/Xixinxing

It’s official. The government-commissioned Thriving at Work report has found that many of us are not, in fact, thriving at work. About 300,000 of us with long-term mental health problems lose their job each year in the UK. For me, this is news alongside sky is blue; Liverpool FC are perpetually underachieving; David Davis understands the Brexit process as much as he does superstring theory.

We have been saying this for a long time. We the people who know. The people with mental illness; the mental health professionals; the experts and charity heads; and in some cases, the employers. It’s a positive step that Theresa May commissioned this report. It’s a travesty that it was such a long time coming.

The tactics shifted a while ago. Some of us stopped appealing to this government’s sense of altruism and began arguing that “it’s the economy, stupid.” Once again, it has been confirmed that the annual cost to the country of poor mental health is £99bn. This isn’t a revelation. I’ve been writing about it for four years, so have many others. The UK’s productivity is in the doldrums. The financial cost to employers is about £42bn.

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How to spot, and respond to, mental health problems in your business

a guide for employers written exclusively for ByteStart by Poppy Jaman, CEO of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, and CEO of City Mental Health Alliance, a coalition of London based businesses working to increase understanding of mental health issues and to create a culture of good mental health in the City.

A bit of background: I was first introduced to Bytestart not long after I had set up my own business in 1995. I would not have survived without the advice given – seriously I would not have. I’m glad I have continued reading the regular posts.
Now there’s this fantastic guide for employers / line managers about dealing with mental health issues in the workplace.
If you are an employee who is affected then showing your manager this item might help.

Each year around ten million adults in the UK will experience mental ill health, meaning one in four of us will experience a mental health issue at some point in our lifetime.

Over the past decade, mental health awareness has accelerated, and more and more employers now understand that mental health is not only a serious issue for society but for businesses too.

With ‘mental health in the workplace’ as the theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day, we asked Poppy Jaman, CEO of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, to share her advice on how to look out for, and respond to, signs of mental ill health in your employees.

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Reducing the cost of mental health problems at work – what can companies do?

an article by Piers Bishop (WeThrive Ltd, Brighton, UK) published in Human Resource Management International Digest Volume 23 Issue 4 (2016)

Abstract

Purpose
The number of companies reporting mental health problems among staff is increasing. The author argues that initiatives to help staff cope with these difficulties are too late and that it is the duty of organizations to develop a workplace culture and environment where people can be motivated but calm and that other benefits will also flow from this.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper reports findings from the CIPD, HSE and NHS as background to a discussion of how auditing unmet human needs might be expected to improve mental health at work.

Findings
The paper suggests that a relatively simple and inexpensive approach could change the landscape of human emotion at work and that the process would embed a new culture of understanding and coaching in management.

Research limitations/implications
The conclusions would not necessarily extend to repetitive manufacturing processes and implementation would be difficult in organizations wedded to early twentieth century “scientific” management principles.

Practical implications
The paper has implications for organizations operating in the “knowledge” economy where the management has an interest in developing and retaining a happy and energized staff.

Social implications
The paper has implications for people whose lives are affected by stress generated by the working environment and culture.

Originality/value
This paper fits two identified needs: to suggest better ways of supporting staff who might develop mental health problems at work and to suggest a framework that will fill the gap left by the approaching demise of the annual review or appraisal process.

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Mental Health First Aid at the Wellcome Trust

via the Work Foundation by Natasha Gordon (Project Manager in People and Facilities at Wellcome Trust)

Employers across the UK are failing to provide adequate support to employees or equip managers with the skills to help them, finds the Mental Health at Work report released this week. More than three quarters (77%) of employees have experienced symptoms of poor mental health in their lives, with managers underequipped and unsupported to respond to mental health in work. With World Mental Health Day on 10th October, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England is calling on employers to find out how they can support the mental wellbeing of their staff.

Continue reading and find out how employers can help staff to get, and stay, well mentally.

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Mental health: the new frontier for labour economics

an article by Richard Layard (Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK) published in IZA Journal of Labor Policy Volume 2 Number 2 (2013)

Abstract

This lecture argues that mental health is a major factor of production.

It is the biggest single influence on life satisfaction, with mental health eight years earlier a more powerful explanatory factor than current income. Mental health also affects earnings and educational success. But, most strikingly, it affects employment and physical health.

In advanced countries mental health problems are the main illness of working age – amounting to 40% of all illness under 65. They account for over one third of disability and absenteeism in advanced countries. They can also cause or exacerbate physical illness.

It is estimated that in the absence of mental illness, the costs of physical healthcare for chronic diseases would be one third lower. The good news is that cost-effective treatments for the most common mental illnesses now exist (both drugs and psychological therapy).

But only a quarter of those who suffer are in treatment.

Yet psychological therapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, if more widely available would pay for itself in savings on benefits and lost taxes.

The lecture ends by illustrating how rational policy can be made using life-course models of well-being. Such policies should include a much greater role for the treatment and prevention of mental illness.

JEL classification: I30, J30

Full text (PDF 19pp + charts and graphs)

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Mental Health and the Workplace - POST Note

a short report by Peter Border for the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POSTnote no 422) published in October 2012

Thanks to Skills Development Scotland for bringing this to my attention

Summary

Poor mental health in the workplace is detrimental to individuals and businesses.

This note summarises how the workplace affects mental health and vice versa. It describes the barriers to gaining and retaining employment and looks at ways of tackling mental health in the workplace and through healthcare services.

Full report (PDF 4pp)

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