Poor employee mental health cost employers £56 billion last year. Here’s how to design an effective employee mental health programme.

Employees perform better when they are motivated, confident, happy and fully focused on their work.  This requires a positive outlook, so it makes good business sense for employers to look after employee mental health.

Like physical health, good mental health cannot be taken for granted. Today, 1 in 6 workers are dealing with a mental health problem such as anxiety, depression, and stress. Our mental health is in a constant state of flux and can move up and down on a spectrum from good to poor.

This means employers need to nurture good mental health as well as support those experiencing ill mental health to cope and recover. What works will differ from one organisation to another but there are five design principles that underpin an effective approach.

5 design principles of an effective employee mental health strategy

1. Understand the current impact of mental health on your organisation

Draw on a range of evidence to develop a well-rounded picture.  Employee data such as sickness absence, presenteeism, staff turnover and employee performance provide a good indication of whether a problem exists but not why.

To understand the why, look for patterns across your data to identify whether a particular workplace demographic is impacted, such as those with care responsibilities, or those working at a certain salary level. Review staff surveys to gauge morale. If you have an EAP, request a thematic summary of the reason’s employees are using this service. Speak with internal talent teams and external recruitment agencies to understand whether the organisation is perceived to value employee mental health.

Use this information to create a wellness strategy linked to your wider people strategy and to prioritise practical support. The simple act of having a wellness strategy communicates to staff that you value their wellbeing.

2. Think prevention first

Budget and resource can be wasted rolling out a programme of support across an organisation that does not value good mental health through its culture working practices or policy.  Review these to identify any ways in which the organisation unintentionally undermines employee mental health.  

This is especially true for hybrid workforces.  Mental health in now the top concern for 49% of hybrid workers.  While remote working can have a positive impact on mental health it also creates a risk that employees will feel isolated, invisible or under pressure to be constantly available unless the organisation makes a conscious effort to address these issues.

Critically, equip leaders and managers to be approachable and confident about mental health. A recent Mind survey found 1 in 5 people felt they couldn’t tell their boss if they were overly stressed at work and less than half of people diagnosed with a mental health problem had told their manager.  Often early intervention and support can prevent a concern from escalating into something more serious. Encourage leaders to model talking about their own mental health to help normalise conversations around mental health with staff.

3. Cover the full spectrum of mental health

Make sure any support offered nurtures good mental health as well as responds to poor mental health.

Provide resources to help individuals take responsibility for their own mental wellness.  Signpost employees to resources to help them spot any early warning signs of stress, anxiety or depression and strategies to counter these.

Ensure your support also provides help for employees experiencing mental distress. Here managers can play a vital role to spot early warning signs, facilitate a conversation, make reasonable workplace adjustments, and develop an action plan to support the employee at work or to return to work.

If you don’t already offer an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) consider doing so. Line managers are not mental health professionals and cannot provide mental health advice. Equally some employees may feel uncomfortable talking to their line manager about deeply personal problems. EAPs offer a confidential helpline to triage an employee’s problems and provide appropriate support specific to that problem.

4. Communicate your support

Mental health awareness week helps to create a focal point to talk about self-care and support, but employees need to be reminded on a regular basis throughout the year. Create a communication schedule to remind employees of the help available through team briefings, emails, town halls or wellness events.

If you have an employee recognition scheme, remind employees of the importance of giving and receiving appreciation. Doing so creates a strong sense of connection and belonging among employees and boosts positivity. 

5. Assess impact

Some employers regard their investment in employee mental wellbeing as a bottom-line cost, but it is worth pointing out to leaders the significant positive impact it can have on business performance. Deloitte found employers see a £5.30 return for every £1 they invest in employee wellness in terms of reduced absenteeism, presenteeism, and turnover. As well as improvements in rates of employee engagement, attraction, and retention.

Refer back to the programme objectives and measure progress against specific metrics as well as usage. Whatever outcome you’re aiming for, evaluate how well your program delivers on it.  

In addition to monitoring hard data, survey employees at frequent intervals throughout the year about their perceptions of your wellness program. Ask staff whether they are aware of the support available, have they been accessing it, and do they find it effective.

Look at how many employees actively engage with the programme and which aspects are used the most. Are some elements not used or under-utilised, if yes, why? Do they need to be improved or dropped?

Regularly review the collected data and adjust the program as necessary to ensure ongoing effectiveness and meet the changing needs of your employees.

Employers can improve individual and organisational performance by looking after your employee’s mental health.