Presentation delivered by Mind at the Sport Minds event on 6 October 2015. The presentation focuses on mental health in the workplace.

1. mind.org.uk
Mental health at
work: creating a
positive culture
Emma Mamo, Head of Workplace Wellbeing

3. We give advice and support
Through our network of local services,
we reach over 400,000 people each year
We offer:
- Counselling - Debt advice
- Training - Employment services
- Supported housing - Advocacy
- Art therapy - Ecotherapy

4. We listen and understand
 Our online peer support network has
over 10,000 users
 Over 6.5 million visits to our website
 Our helplines respond to 50,000 calls
annually

5. We speak out

6. Mental health is everyone’s business
• We all have mental health – it moves up and
down along a spectrum
• 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health
problem in any one year
• Mental ill health is indiscriminate – it can affect
anyone
• By 2020, depression will be the second most
common cause of ill health worldwide

7. But people don’t talk about it
• A major cause of stigma and prejudice is that
people don’t talk about it
• 9 out of 10 people who experience mental
health problems say they face stigma and
discrimination as a result
• Stigma can be worse than the symptoms
themselves
• Time to Change is England’s biggest
programme to challenge mental health stigma
and discrimination

8. Silence around issue
Wider
society
Scared to reveal problem Lack of knowledge
Scared to raise the issue
Silence around issue
Increases perception of stigma
Those with
mental health
problems
Stigma

9. Attitudes are improving…

10. But there is still a long way to go…

11. Mental health at work

12. Current picture
• Right now 1 in 6 workers is dealing with anxiety,
depression or stress
• Work is the most stressful factor in people’s lives
• 40 per cent of employers view workers with mental health
problems as a ‘significant risk’
• Mental health problems among workers cost the UK
economy over £26 billion every year

13. Culture of silence
• Yet eight in ten employers have no mental health policy to help
staff sustain good mental health
• While stress has forced 1 in 5 workers to call in sick, 95%
have gave a different reason to their boss
• Managers want to do more to improve staff mental wellbeing
but they need more training and guidance
• Staff would feel more loyal and committed if their employer
took action on staff wellbeing
• So employers need to take the first step and make it a priority

14. Where do we need to get to?
• Our goal is to mainstream good mental health and make it
core business for all employers
• Everyone is supported to have good mental health at
work, no matter where they are on the spectrum
• People get appropriate support when they are
experiencing a mental health problem
“Open and supportive workplaces benefit everyone –
employees, employers and the bottom line”

15. Mental Health Charter
Five actions for the Sport and Recreation sector:
• Use our sport to promote good mental health and
wellbeing
• Adopt good mental health policies and best practices
• Appoint ambassadors and role models
• Tackle discrimination on the grounds of mental health
• Support a pan-sport platform to develop and share
resources and best practice
• Regularly monitor our performance

16. Mental Health Charter
Five actions for the Sport and Recreation sector:
• Use our sport to promote good mental health and
wellbeing
• Adopt good mental health policies and best
practices
• Appoint ambassadors and role models
• Tackle discrimination on the grounds of mental
health
• Support a pan-sport platform to develop and
share resources and best practice
• Regularly monitor our performance

17. Best practice for employers
A comprehensive mental health strategy will create an open
and supportive working environment
Three-pronged approach
1. Promote wellbeing
2. Tackle work-related mental health problems
3. Support employees with mental health problems
Senior leadership across the
organisation is crucial

18. Promote wellbeing
• Get mental health on the agenda – talk about wellbeing regularly
• Strong leadership – positive, open and clear culture which values staff
• Send a message – leaders support lunch breaks and sensible hours
• Support flexible working where possible
• Promote open dialogue and involve staff in decision-making
• Ensure good, clear communication and develop trust
• Create space for staff to raise issues - home as well as work issues
• Invest in your staff - prioritise learning and development
• Promote physical and social activities
• Encourage peer support and buddy systems

19. Workplace triggers
• Long hours and no breaks
• Unrealistic expectations or deadlines
• High-pressure environments
• Poor working environment
• Unmanageable workloads or lack of control over work
• Negative relationships or poor communication
• Poor managerial support
• Job insecurity or change management
• High-risk roles
• Lone working

20. Tackling the causes
• Routinely take stock of organisation’s mental health and wellbeing
• Think about policies and practices that interact with staff wellbeing
• Ensure line managers are supported and confident on mental health
• Promote a culture of regular one-to-ones – build mental health and
wellbeing into these processes (normalise it)
• Treat people as individuals – line managers should flex their
management style to suit the needs of the staff member and the task
• Provide coaching and on-the-job support
• Organise work efficiently and effectively and clearly communicate
responsibilities and expectations
• Consider the physical environment
• Publicise internal and external support pathways

21. Supporting employees
• A culture needs to be created that enables disclosure
• Develop tailored support for individuals when needed. A useful
tool is developing an Action Plan that covers:
– What keeps you well at work
– Workplace triggers and early warning signs
– Impact of mental health problem on performance
– Steps for the line manager to take
– Steps for the individual to take
• Put in place support measures and workplace adjustments

22. Support measures and adjustments
• Flexible working e.g. change to start/finish time, WFH
• Change of workspace
• Changes to break times
• Changes to role (temporary or permanent)
• Extra support
– Extra help with managing and negotiating workload
– Mentor or ‘buddy’ systems (formal or informal)
– Identifying a ‘safe space’ in the workplace where the person can
have some time out and seek support
– Extra training, coaching or mentoring
– Provide regular opportunities to discuss, review and reflect on
people’s positive achievements

23. Case study: BT
• Level one: promoting wellbeing and preventing
mental distress - advice on intranet and training on
soft skills
• Level two: identifying distress and intervening early
to prevent escalation - online stress risk assessment
for employees and training for managers
• Level three: range of support and treatments for
people experiencing mental health problems –
employee and manager produces an ‘advance
directive’, identifying early warning signs and a plan
of action and support

24. Case study: Lend Lease
• Public Health Responsibility Deal - created a specific
pledge for construction industry
– 111 organisations have signed up benefiting 400,000
people
• Founding member of the City Mental Health Alliance
• Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course - over 100
employees trained
• MHFA Lite course - all managers and supervisors
encouraged to attend
• Sharing best practice globally

25. Case study: Comic Relief
• Mental health and wellbeing policy
• Training for managers – how to support staff
• PTSD training – staff and managers
• Wellbeing Champions – organise activities all year
round
• Counselling service – available 24 hours a day

26. Scenarios exercise
• Scenario one: Discussing mental health
• Scenario two: Decision to disclose
• Scenario three: Responding to disclosure

27. Scenario one
Feeding back…

28. How do I know if someone needs support?
• You know the people in your team and you may notice changes in
them.
• However, it’s important to remember everyone’s experience of a
mental health problem is different and there may be no outward sign –
this is why it’s so important to create an environment where people
can be open.
• You should never make assumptions about people’s mental health but
clues might include:
– changes in people’s behaviour or mood or how they interact with colleagues
– changes in their work output, motivation levels and focus
– struggling to make decisions, get organised and find solutions to problems
– appearing tired, anxious or withdrawn and losing interest in activities and tasks they
previously enjoyed
– changes in eating habits, appetite and increased smoking and drinking.

29. How to have a conversation
1. Choose an appropriate place - somewhere private and quiet
2. Encourage people to talk - ask simple, open and non-judgmental
questions
3. Don’t make assumptions - don’t try to guess
4. Listen to people and respond flexibly - adapt your support to suit the
individual
5. Be honest and clear - address specific grounds for concern at an
early stage
6. Ensure confidentiality
7. Develop an action plan
8. Encourage people to seek advice and support
9. Seek advice and support yourself
10. Reassure people - people may not always be ready to
talk straight away

30. Scenario two
Feeding back…

31. Deciding to disclose
• There is significant stigma attached to mental health
problems so it is understandable that people may be
reticent to disclose to an employer
• There are legal protections in place to try to prevent
employers from discriminating against people who
disclose a mental health problem at work
• Disclosing a mental health problem can make it much
easier to manage it at work

32. Scenario three
Feeding back…

33. Responding to disclosure
• Avoid making assumptions – ignore stereotypes
about mental health and do not guess symptoms and
impact
• Manage communication – sensitive personal
information
• Respond flexibly – agree on tailored system of
support
• Wellness Action Plans (WAPs) are a useful tool
• Seek advice if you need to – Mind, local Minds,
health professionals, EAP, Occupational Health…

34. Top tips at work
• Take your lunch break and get some fresh air
• Be honest if expectations are unrealistic
• Make the most of supervisions and one-to-ones
• Reflect on your achievements each day
• Talk to colleagues, friends and family
If you are feeling overwhelmed…
• Learn some relaxation techniques
• Take a deep breath and some time out
• Communicate if you need help

35. Having a work/life balance
Are you often the last to leave work? Do you do extra work outside of
working hours?
• Create clear boundaries between work and home
• Refresh your ‘to do’ list at the end of the day
• Use the time on your commute home to wind down from work
• Make sure you’re maintaining a life outside of work

36. How we can help
• Free e-newsletter with our latest updates
• Free guides for employers

37. Mind’s
guide to
developing
a WAP

38. How we can help
• Webinars for line managers and HR professionals /
SMT
• Mind Workplace – training and consultancy
• Local Minds – counselling services, job retention
services
• Mind Infoline and Legal Advice Service
• Information on Mind website
• Free resources for employees

39. Any questions?

40. To find out more:
mind.org.uk/work for information and resources
on mental health at work
mind.org.uk for general information
Contact: work@mind.org.uk
020 8215 2231

41. • Send Mind your
action plans
• Send Mind your
case studies
What next?
• World Mental Health Day – 10 October 2015
• Time to Talk Day – 4 Feb 2016
• Charter one-year anniversary – March 2016
sport@mind.org.uk