Many think it’s not “good to talk”
Mental health check-up. The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has published the results of a survey examining the support provided by employers for those suffering from poor mental health. It found that one of the biggest hurdles to staff obtaining help was continuing reluctance from both staff and managers to discuss the subject. Managers interviewed were concerned they would say or do something wrong if they were to bring up the subject with team members. While four out of five of the workers surveyed said they wouldn’t bring it up for fear of being judged or stigmatised.
Statistics. Findings from the 400 interviews were that 80% of staff were not willing to discuss mental health issues with their line manager; 25% of those surveyed would rather discuss any concerns with a colleague; 22% of line managers will only discuss mental health with their direct reports occasionally, while 11% never do. Tip. Managers are right to be cautious about approaching this subject sensitively, but avoiding it is likely to leave staff more vulnerable to worsening symptoms. Direct your managers to free resources such as IOSH’s white paper which gives guidance on how to promote positive mental health at work (see The next step ).
For the IOSH resource, visit http://tipsandadvice-healthandsafety.co.uk/download (HS 17.22.08).
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