According to a recent survey by RSPH, a huge 42% of employees want more mental health support from their employer.

At a time when hybrid working is becoming widespread, there are increasing reports of burnout. This is partly assumed to be due to the blurring lines between work and home. UK mental health absenteeism rose by 10% in 2021, resulting in £14bn costs in lost productivity. Nearly one-third of Brits report an increase in job stress between 2020 and 2021 and 67% of people reported feeling less connected to their colleagues.

So, how can employers help to bolster employee mental health? 

Mental health champions

They can act as a great intermediary for those uncomfortable raising sensitive matters with their manager. Mental health champions are not designed to replace HR. Instead, the purpose is to work alongside your HR team to improve the mental health space at work for everyone. We can offer mental health training for champions and managers – contact us for details. 

Employee Wellbeing

With an effective employee wellbeing strategy, employers can bolster and protect employee wellbeing. In some cases, employee benefits provide a safety net, with employees knowing robust support measures are in place for issues that may arise in the future. Examples of employee benefits which could help boost employee wellbeing could include Employee Assistance Programmes, Gym membership discounts and Cycle to Work schemes (as physical movement is known to boost mental health for some people). There are also counselling apps, which can help employees to combat some of the common mental health issues.

Workplace Culture 

Critical to boosting employee mental health, is to ensure that you create a positive working environment for your employees. It’s important to have an open and honest culture, where employees feel their managers are approachable – regardless of whether the issue is mental health, or wider ‘life’. Our expert HR consultants can help guide SMEs in building a positive working culture.

The above list is not extensive. Talk to advo today about employee wellbeing and benefits strategy, our employee benefits experts can help you in creating a strategy that works for your business. Our expert HR consultants can also assist with mental health training, or wider HR support in improving your company culture.