As you might of heard, Prince William has launched ‘Mental Health At Work’¹ – a new initiative in collaboration with the charity Mind;² providing tools and resources for businesses to look after the mental health and wellbeing of all employees.
It is undeniable that we have come a long way in the last century – improving working conditions, equality, safety and fairness – but it seems that at some point this evolving awareness lost momentum, especially when it came to mental health.
Recent data has put the spotlight on some rather alarming figures and it could be the wake up call needed to spark change; finally recognising where the shortfall in provision is and crucially, how we combat it.
In 2016/17 Mind² ran their very first workplace wellbeing index. Thirty organisations took part, with a total of 15,000 employees surveyed – the results were quite shocking.
Most of the companies surveyed – seventeen in total – were in the private sector. Seven companies were public and five were voluntary.
It showed that only two in five had a mental health or wellbeing policy, 24% referenced mental health in their sickness policy. Of their employees – 37% felt their workload was unmanageable and a mere 26% felt that they would be likely to talk to their manager if they experienced a mental health problem.
Of those experiencing poor mental health whilst in their current role – 70% said that it makes it difficult to concentrate at work and 52% said they found it more difficult juggling multiple tasks.
So could this be the wake up call that we need to make further advances?
With the recognition and support from William and Kate, Mind and many other influential figures and establishments, its looking hopeful that we can now finally expect change.
When we look at the ways in which companies are driving change in the physical working environment – we found some inspiring ideas. One company that really stood out was Morgan Lovell³. A one-stop shop, specialising in office design, workplace consultancy and relocation – their key focus is not on aesthetics or gadgetry but rather on employee’s wellbeing, first and foremost.
By appointing a ‘Wellbeing Team’, made up of a company’s own staff, they ensure that the project is run in line with their own values by someone that has a naturally vested interest in employee wellbeing. A workplace evaluation survey is implemented, giving employees a voice when it comes to things like air quality and cultural factors. They even go as far as providing a ‘Time Utilisation Study’ (TUS) where a designated surveyor spends time within the office, observing employees and their useage of each area, to identify what space is either underutilised or over-subscribed. There is also a strong focus on providing ‘Contemplation Zones’ and greenery – both of which are condusive to a harmonious environment.
Of course, these are just a few examples of the many companies and charities who are now paving the way to a better working environment and hopefully better all-round support for staff – but it’s great to see the key players setting the bench mark high.
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References ¹ www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk ² www.mind.org.uk ³ www.morganlovell.co.uk Photos by Max van den Oetelaar and Ben White on Unsplash