Research by insurance company Towergate Health and Protection demonstrates that although organisations are increasingly offering mental health support, only a small number of employees actually use them.
Mental health at work remains a significant issue for the modern day organisations, with increasing numbers recognising the impact that it can have on the wellbeing of their staff. Although more organisations are now taking steps to tackle this, such as introducing an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), these latest figures suggest that there may be still more work that needs to be done to raise awareness of these options.
Figures from this study show that 76 per cent of organisations are now offering access to initiatives such as an EAP in order to assist employees with mental health issues. However, just 10 per cent of HR professionals asked felt that staff actually valued these options, with only 5 per cent believing that their EAP was actually used. When asked why take-up had been so low, 15 per cent outlined that it was communication that was the issue; staff remained unaware of the options open to them.
Distribution director for Towergate Health & Protection, Brett Hill, calls for ‘communication to take centre stage’ if organisations ‘want their work in supporting mental wellbeing to really make a difference’. He goes on to state that support is available, urging organisations to make ‘the most of’ external advisors who can assist them.
Managers and inductions should encourage employees to come forward with any issues they may be having, whilst leaflets and cards should be distributed regularly to remind employees of the options open to them. Additionally, the organisation could hold regular employee surveys to ascertain if employees are aware of the support on offer and evaluate if it could do more to improve awareness.
Whilst certain mental health initiatives such as an EAP may not be possible for all organisations, they should bear in mind that, by taking clear steps to support individuals suffering from poor mental health, they can experience real benefits. For example, if staff feel supported in this issue, they are more likely to remain in their roles, take less time off sick and maintain their productivity. Publicly demonstrating a commitment to mental health can also be highly attractive to external candidates, potentially attracting skilled individuals to the organisation that may not have come before.
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