Gill Hasson - Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace

Dr Margot Sunderland, D.Psych - Director and Founder of The Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education

Gill Hasson

Donna Butler

This edition first published 2020

© 2020 Gill Hasson & Donna Butler.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is Available:

Names: Hasson, Gill, author. | Butler, Donna (Donna Margaret), author.

Title: Mental health and wellbeing in the workplace : a practical guide for employers and employees / Gill Hasson, Donna Butler.

Description: Chichester, West Sussex : Wiley-Capstone, 2020. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020004334 (print) | LCCN 2020004335 (ebook) | ISBN 9780857088284 (paperback) | ISBN 9780857088307 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9780857088291 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Psychology, Industrial—Great Britain. | Employees—Mental health—Great Britain. | Quality of work life—Great Britain. | Employee health promotion—Great Britain. | Personnel management—Great Britain. | Work—Psychological aspects. | Work environment—Psychological aspects.

Classification: LCC HF5548.8 .H353 2020 (print) | LCC HF5548.8 (ebook) | DDC 158.7—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020004334

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020004335

Cover Design: Wiley

Cover Image: © Elaine Barker/Shutterstock

To our sons Jake and Tom who brought us together .

Adults in employment spend a large proportion of their time at work, so our jobs and workplaces can have a big impact on our physical and mental health and wellbeing. There is clear evidence that good work improves health and wellbeing across people's lives, both in terms of quality of life and economically. This entails working in an environment that is safe, as well as having a sense of security, autonomy, control, good line management and good communication.

However, for some people, work can also be a cause of stress and anxiety and alongside life's challenges, people's circumstances and experiences can further compound problems, which can lead to experiencing common mental health problems. This puts further strain on individuals and those they care for and about.

There is a growing emphasis amongst politicians, academics, trade unions, mental health organisations, employers large and small and workers on promoting good mental health and preventing mental ill health. This is important, as one in four adults experiences at least one mental health problem in any given year, and early signs of poor mental health, including feeling anxious, stressed, having low mood or trouble sleeping, can affect everyone. And in 2018, 17.5million working days were lost in the UK due to stress, depression, anxiety and serious mental health problem-related sickness absence. This costs UK employers an estimated £8 billion per year in lost productivity.

Supporting good mental health is about having a whole workplace approach as part of overall health and wellbeing, preventing problems, and intervening early and providing effective support and care to those experiencing mental illnesses. It is also about working in a way that encourages and supports good practice amongst managers and staff alike, and having a compassionate environment that values everyone.

At Public Health England, we have established better mental health as one of our ten priorities in our 2020-2025 strategy. Our aim is to ensure that mental health has parity with physical health, modelling the role that organisations can play as employers whilst embedding good mental health across our own work. We are also supporting the NHS on the mental health components of their Long Term Plan, including suicide prevention and new models of care to improve the health and wellbeing of people with severe mental illness.

This book provides resources to empower employers and their staff to plan ahead for the near and long-term future, on everything to do with promoting good mental health in the workplace. It highlights a variety of practical steps that can be taken intertwined with stories and case studies. The themes that run throughout are the importance of open, supportive communication and of training and education for employers, management and staff.

Wellbeing and good mental health are not only good for the individual and their ability to thrive and enjoy their work, but it is also vital for the prosperity and productivity of their organisation, a veritable win:win for everyone.

Duncan Selbie

Chief Executive of Public Health England

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives .

Annie Dillard

For many of us, a large part of our days is spent at work; it's reckoned that we will spend 3507 days at work over a lifetime. The average person spends a quarter of their adult life at work. Work can give us a sense of purpose, structure, and satisfaction while also providing the means to finance daily life. It can also cause stress.

In fact, mental health and wellbeing at work is one of the most important issues facing all of us. Global organizations, national organizations, small organizations, trade unions, politicians, mental health organizations, employers, and, of course, employees, their families and friends are all becoming increasingly concerned about mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.