Mhe Conference June 2012 2
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Business case for investing in supporting mental health at work
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Mhe Conference June 2012 2
- 1. changing the attitude of employers 15 June 2012 www.bitc.org.uk
- 2. Business in the Community is a membership organisation that mobilises business for the good of society. www.bitcni.org.uk We stand for responsible business
- 4. why?
- 5. • ethical • legal • business
- 6. www.bitcni.org.uk We stand for responsible business
- 7. • engaged • not engaged • actively disengaged
- 8. how?
- 12. www.bitcni.org.uk We stand for responsible business
Editor's Notes
- Business in the Community is a membership organisation that supports and challenges employers to be good corporate citizens, to embrace corporate social responsibility. In these times of austerity and a return to real values in society and business now, more than ever business is seeing value and benefit in really investing in its people, our planet and the places or communities in which we live.
- Corporate Social Responsibility in respect of people includes impact on our current and future workforce and engages employers in creating a workforce that is diverse and inclusive and supports the wellbeing of the individual.
- So, when I was asked to talk about changing the attitudes of employers to mental health, the first question that a business person will ask when considering any aspect of their business is – why? Why do I need to change my attitude to the mental health of my workforce and why would I?
- In my experience there are three motivators for any action or change in the way a business carries out its business. Ethical, legal and business reasons. Let’s get the legal aspects out of the way. Legal requirements are a bare minimum and although crucial in achieving certain standards, legal compliance does not drive the best and most competitive businesses Of course true corporate social responsibility is all about ethical business and there are many good people out there driven to ‘do the right thing’. However, there are few successful businesses out there who will do the right thing without ensuring that it is good for business and that there is a return on investment. Therefore, the business case is key to driving change in employers’ attitudes towards everything, including mental health.
- And the business case is growing year on year. There is a great deal of evidence to suggest that investment in mental health is good for business. For instance there is currently evidence to support that – at any one time, 1 in 6 employees is experiencing depression, anxiety or stress. Estimated to cost employers £26 billion, or £1,035 per employee per year. 10% of workers saw their GP for stress and anxiety whilst 1 in 7 have started taking antidepressants. 1 in 5 of those who have disclosed a mental health problem at work report having been sacked or forced out of their job. More than anything right now, employers want to attract and retain talent because it is hard to come by. Increasingly there is an inherent understanding that mental health is something that we all have.
- However, I believe the strongest business case is much more real for employers and is based on the unquestionable research carried out by Gallup over many years that links employee engagement to business success. Gallup tells us that there are three types of employees – Engaged, not engaged and actively disengaged. The best investment is in those who are not engaged to encourage them to become engaged. The only way to do this is for employers to create an environment that enables and empowers employees to choose to be engaged. This can only be achieved by appealing to their hearts and minds and creating a psychological and emotional connection with the organisation. Without this – engagement which supports good mental health will not be achieved.
- There are three levels of entry in to an engaged workforce. However, only one will support sustained good mental health. That is the top level when a business embraces all factors within a workplace that may impair health and wellness from job design and workspace to how people are managed. It is also the only approach that provides evidence to support and grow the business case. This approach must be relevant to the workforce for which it is intended based on data required to inform a strategic approach to wellbeing at work and not, as is so often the case, delivery of a programme that is a ‘cook book’ of events and interventions.
- Organisations must be clear from the outset what they want in terms of business deliverables and be honest and up front about this. If a programme falls in to the health promotion/management bracket, then it should be positioned as such. Vague expectation must be avoided. If there is a genuine desire at senior management level to enhance performance through improved employee wellbeing and are prepared to take a long hard look at the factors that could be affecting people’s wellbeing, the rewards are rich. BITC developed a new definition of workplace wellbeing which encompasses good work, good relationships, good support and good physicaland psychological health.
- The model clearly links action taken within these four quadrants of wellbeing to ways in which an individual can enhance their psychological wellbeing and happiness and organisational outcomes. We continue to develop a set of common measures that companies apply to show overall improvement for the individual and the organisation. These measures act as both a benchmark for employer excellence and forms the basis for the growing evidence base for the business case for investment in wellbeing.