Simon Blake: mental health at work

As the nation faces a mental health crisis amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, many employees are looking to their workplace for support. While some of us may be healthier and happier working from home, for others the experience has been really challenging. The pandemic has both amplified existing inequalities and created further social, economic, and health uncertainties and insecurities.

I have been really encouraged by just how much employers have paid attention to the mental health and emotional wellbeing of their staff over the past year. So many employers have worked in partnership with employees to respond with flexibility, trust, flair and innovation. They have worked hard to keep connected and support the wellbeing of staff whether furloughed, working from home or continuing to work as before.

But the realities are clear. There have been – and continue to be – innumerate challenges for people, whether that be loss of earnings and financial stability, health concerns, working and caring, being safe and able to work effectively from home, increased domestic abuse or bereavement and loss. My colleague Ama Afrifa-Tchie recently wrote about how stress in the workplace is not always about work.

Almost every workplace has had to adapt, which some people can find difficult during ‘usual times’, and perhaps more so right now.

The pandemic has not been the only challenge, of course. For example, over the past year, we have seen the realities of racism laid bare across the globe. Again, many workplaces have set out plans to address racism and inequity in the workplace, which is absolutely the right and just thing to do. Others have not made the commitment to tackling inequality we would hope.

At MHFA England we are clear that workplaces should be striving for racial equity. We know that racism can have a negative effect on the mental health and wellbeing People of Colour and Black colleagues. It’s also important to consider that the journey towards becoming an actively anti-racist organisation – a journey which we at MHFA England are on – can also add an emotional burden and impact. We have produced guidance to support workplaces in doing so which you can find here.

Whatever the reason, whether work related or wider, the Centre for Mental Health estimates that 10 million more people will need support and help for their mental health as a result of the pandemic. The full range of supports needed must be widely available, including wellbeing support provided through employee assistance programmes and appropriately funded and accessible mental health services.

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and the theme is connecting with nature. The evidence shows that being outside and connected to nature is good for wellbeing. The Mental Health Foundation research shows that for 45% of people getting outside for a walk was an important factor in protecting their wellbeing.

Where we live – whether in rural, city or suburban environments – there are different experiences and opportunities to connect with nature, but they exist wherever we live. As restrictions continue to be eased there are increasing opportunities to be outside and benefit from the soothing and healing powers of nature.

As we look to the future there are some things that we definitely want to make sure continue;

• Looking out for each other, talking about mental health and learning and understanding more about our own and others wellbeing, including providing mental health training such as mental health first aid. You can email [email protected] to find out about workplace training.
• Creating positive and equitable workplace cultures where people feel able to talk about their mental health and bring their whole self to work. Here are some tools to help.

The last year has brought enormous challenge and change and I wouldn’t want to predict what the future holds, but I do know this: we have been on a crash course in emotional and mental health literacy over the last year and we must keep moving forward at pace. All of us employers, employee reps and employees – people – working together to support each other in the weeks and months ahead.

Simon Blake is CEO of Mental Health First Aid England