Mental Health Charity Shares Tips for Improving Workplace Stress Management

Mental health charity Mates in Mind is sharing its top tips for improving workplace stress management ahead of Stress Awareness Month this April.

In a recent survey carried out by the charity, almost 70% of respondents said that their line managers do not know how to undertake stress risk assessments or understand when they may be necessary.

It also found over 46% do not have mental health policies in place, and 61% have not provided all employees with general mental health awareness training in the last two years. However, almost 78% said they do record the reason for absence being related to stress or common mental health conditions.

Mates in Mind says the survey results demonstrate that too many organisations simply do not prioritise assessing and addressing work-related stress, despite organisations having a legal duty of care.

If left unaddressed, stress can kill, having a devastating impact on the individual, leading to potentially life-changing repercussions for them, as well as their family, friends and colleagues.

Tips for Improving Workplace Stress Management

In order to prevent this, the charity is calling on senior leaders, line managers, HR professionals, and health and safety team members, to follow these five tips for managing employee workplace stress:

1 – Get management buy-in and lead by example (in terms of talking about your own mental health and demonstrating it is ok to ask for help).

2 – Assess where you are on your mental health journey and develop a tailored action plan to fill any gaps, e.g., in terms of provision, policies (especially a mental health policy, and that you are regularly conducting and acting on individual stress risk assessments, and performance (ensuring those with responsibility have the ability to fulfil this role).

3 – Set targets, monitor outcomes and record evidence. Know what success looks like in terms of the mental health of your workforce; plan in what and by when you will fill the gaps identified in your assessment; and keep records of the outcomes and evidence of actions you have taken.

4 – Educate your whole workforce so they have the skills, clarity and confidence to spot the signs of mental ill-health, start conversations, signpost support and make reasonable work adjustments if needed.

5 – Provide support – be that through Mental Health First Aiders, HR Team, Occupational Health, an Employee Assistance Programme, peer mentors – and ensure the information is communicated regularly with staff.

Discover more about Stress Awareness Month and access free resources here.

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