Encouraging Companies to Provide Managers with Mental Health Training
Stress, overwork, burn-out: there are a variety of reasons employees might suffer from poor mental health. In a time where workplaces are more fast-paced than ever, approximately 828,000 workers in the UK have reported work-related stress, depression, or anxiety, and an incredible 17.9 million working days have been lost because of this. On a workplace level, there must be something managers can do. Mylo Kaye suggests why managers should receive mental health training and the positive ways it can impact a workplace.
Good workplace mental health starts at the top. A manager who can understand and support their team’s mental health will catch problems quickly. This lets them run a workplace that has healthy and happy staff who are proud of their work, in turn leading to employee retention.
Prevention is better than needing a cure. Thus, the most important aspect of managerial mental health training, says Mylo Kaye, is that managers will learn to notice signs of mental ill health in the workplace early on. Knowing the warning signs is key, and recognising and resolving poor mental health when it first arises is significantly more helpful than if it is left to grow more debilitating to the employee.
It’s a known fact that people can find talking about their mental health difficult. It’s often hard enough to discuss with close friends and family, let alone work colleagues or superiors. This is where managers can step in. A large part of mental health advocacy is eliminating the stigma that unfortunately still exists when it comes to talking about these matters. When managerial staff can talk openly and intelligently about mental ill health, employees will know it’s okay to follow their lead. A company where there is no shame or fear about discussing mental wellbeing is one where staff are happier and more comfortable in their surroundings.
