4 Questions You Should Be Asking When Considering Mental Health In The Workplace

• Published date: 06 June 2020
• Author: Mr Hugh More and Meriel Schindler
• Subject Matter: Employment and HR, Discrimination, Disability & Sexual Harassment, Health & Safety
• Law Firm: Withers LLP

#WorkingWorld

As employers start to plan to bring their organisations out of lockdown, they will need to be particularly mindful of the mental health of their employees. Returning to work brings the pressure of getting to grips with new ways of operating in the workplace, particularly if the full workforce can't return immediately or an extended period of remote - and potentially isolated - working continues.

The statistics tell their own story: a survey by the Royal College of 1,300 mental-health doctors from across the UK found that 43% had seen a rise in urgent case while 45% reported a reduction in routine appointments. It is likely that employees with pre-existing conditions have stayed away from their doctors and some employees may have developed mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression as a direct result of the pandemic. Employers need to be alive to these issues and put in place measures to ensure employees' mental health is protected to the best of their ability. Whilst many businesses are likely to have existing policies in place, these may require careful review in light of the pandemic and managers may need additional training on how to manage remote working teams.

So, what do managers need to be aware of?

Managers should treat all employees, who might experience mental health issues, in exactly the same way as if they had physical health problems. This means compassion, support and adjustment. Why is this?

Firstly, employers have many statutory (written in law in England and Wales) obligations to employees. As a manager, you have to protect your employees' health, safety and welfare. You have to take reasonable care to provide a safe place to work and a safe system of working. If your employees are disabled, you need to consider making adjustments to alleviate the effect of any disability they might experience. These requirements in law are just as relevant to mental as to physical health conditions.

Secondly though, this is obviously not just about what the law requires. Businesses succeed thanks to their people. Good employers know if they look after their people, their organisation will benefit. Sickness absence isn't good for anyone, and teams will function better and increase their output if they are provided with the right support to be productive.

So how do you know if you are treating mental and physical health in exactly the same way?

This will depend on the type of organisation and sector you work in. Developing a...