1 in 5 young people said the pandemic had a significant negative impact on their mental health [1], more than 80% of people surveyed said they’re stressed about inflation and the war in Ukraine [2] and 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (like anxiety and depression) in any given week in England [3].
When reading these statistics, I was shocked that these numbers weren’t higher. Being an advocate for mental health awareness, I have seen first hand the impact that negative world events have had on myself and my own social networks.
In a generation of social media, where news is at the touch of our fingertips, scrolling through negative news on negative news can feel overwhelming, isolating and frustrating.
With external and internal stressors, it’s no surprise that the mental health of workers hit an all time low at the end of 2021 [4]. People are feeling burnt out, from work and from life.
Fostering a culture of psychological safety can promote a healthier workforce, not only is it imperative for inclusion, but it means that employees can open up about challenges in their life, and seek help sooner.
It’s mental health awareness week, and at Randstad we are using this week to raise awareness of wellbeing at work and break the stigma when it comes to talking about mental health. We are sharing tips on how to promote a healthy and holistic approach to wellbeing: launching voluntary wellbeing training, encouraging all our people to complete a wellbeing action plan and raising awareness of our Employee Assistance Programme.
We have also launched our This Is Me campaign, through storytelling aiming to break the stigma around mental health by encouraging employees to feel empowered and able to share their mental health journey.
The video has been led by our CEO, Vicky Short. I feel incredibly proud to work for an organisation where our CEO is not afraid to be open and vulnerable in sharing her story and to lead initiatives such as this from the front. It takes courage to share, but in doing so, it can help others to feel less alone, to speak up and seek help.
So, how can we all foster better mental wellbeing in the workplace?
My top 3 tips for HR:
- Invest in setting a wellbeing strategy and implementing a wellbeing champion scheme recognising their are different challenges for different people
- Ensure you have an Employee Assistance Programme in place
- Provide a supportive environment where if someone is struggling with their mental health, look at ways to better support their wellbeing through reasonable adjustments or flexible working arrangements
My top 3 tips for leaders:
- Complete a wellbeing action plan with your team - I completed mine with my direct report and my manager, we all learned something new and can better support each other going forward
- Take the time to ask your colleagues how they really are, how their weekend has been - the small, daily interactions add up!
- Don’t be afraid to share your story - by sharing your story, you’re giving others the space to feel comfortable and valid in their own stories, speak up and seek help.
My top 3 tips for employees:
- Check your working environment - is your desk setup suitable? Are you going for regular breaks/ walks? Are you taking time to eat a balanced lunch?
- Check the support available at your company - do they have an Employee Assistance Programme? Do they have a volunteering scheme? Do they have a financial wellbeing tool?
- Check in on yourself and your colleagues - take moments to reflect on how you are feeling. What helps you keep a healthy wellbeing? Are you getting consistently good quality sleep, exercising, seeing friends? Take moments to ask how your colleagues are.
[2] American Psychological association
[3] Mind
[4] Benefits News
find out more
To find out more about how we promote wellbeing in the workplace and to access our I&W insights head over to our 'belonging' page.
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Sim Virdee
inclusion and wellbeing manager
As the Inclusion and Wellbeing Manager, Sim is responsible for encouraging, enabling and fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce at Randstad. Sim works with teams across the business to create a culture where everyone feels like they can bring their whole selves to work. She strongly believes that feeling a sense of inclusion and belonging is not only good for wellbeing and morale, but it can also strengthen and uplift an organisation's performance.