Today is World Mental Health Day, and with the highest suicide rates in men aged 40-44 it got us thinking why and what can we do.
In 2017, Randstad reporting showed that 34% of construction workers surveyed have experienced a mental health condition in the last 12 months (that’s 1 in 3!), and a staggering 73% felt that their employers do not recognise the early signs of mental health problems.
The sooner we can recognise the signs that one of our colleagues is struggling with their mental health, the sooner we can signpost them to the ongoing support they require as well as creating a plan in their workplace to support them.
Poor mental health of your colleagues can impact your business in a number of ways:
- Reduced productivity
- High staff turn over
- Increased staff absence
All costing the business money, but there is a moral obligation too.
So what can we do?
- Learn how to spot the signs
- Remove the stigma about mental health in your workplace
- Provide services such as a councillor
- Identify common concerns and improve them
Firstly having trained Mental Health first aiders with the knowledge to identify mental health conditions and experience in how to start that difficult conversation.
Do regular toolbox talks within the workplace to reduce the stigma, and allow people to feel more open about the topic.
Look at providing a counselling service, companies such as Health Assured’ who provide a service your employees can use for a set cost per employee.
Look to have a box or a process where people can raise the concerns and feelings confidentially.
MBO can assist you with putting into place Mental Health provisions in your work place, please feel free to get in contact to discuss with one of our trained consultants.