World Mental Health Day: let’s make it something we talk about

On World Mental Health Day, Vanessa Sampson, Head of People & Culture shares her thoughts on the importance of mental health in the workplace

I grew up when cancer was the ‘forbidden’ word but now there are two words in association that have made people self-conscious about how to address it – ‘mental health’. In my generation, this wasn’t an issue; because it just didn’t ‘exist’. How many times have you heard – or still hear someone say - “Oh grow up”, “It’s not that bad”, “Just get over it” – and these are just some of the more palatable phrases.

It’s undeniable now that mental health is on par with physical and emotional health as a priority. According to the Mental Health Foundation, in the UK, one in six adults and one in eight 5-19 year-olds meet the criteria for a common mental health problem every week. Suicide is the leading killer of men and women between the ages of 15-35. Fewer than one in eight adults say they are thriving. Mental health problems are the biggest contributor to ill-health today.

Mental health in the workplace.
And that’s why mental health is something that needs to be a primary consideration in any workplace. Forget stress balls, chocolate bars and token giveaways, workplaces need to incorporate mental health and workforce wellbeing into any people and culture strategy. We bring our whole person to work, and whereas we as employers cannot – and should not – step in as the therapist or counsellor, we can certainly put a support system in place that any employee can draw on when they need support to manage their complete wellbeing. With key objectives in place, there should be a consistent drive to maintain healthy mental wellbeing, with an infrastructure in place that addresses these in considered and empathetic ways.

Talking about it.
Often businesses have policies and claim to be on top of mental health. The fact is, we can never be ‘on top of it’ at any given point in time – we can only ensure that we create healthy and safe workspaces. We need to encourage individuals wishing to grow all aspects of their wellbeing to feel comfortable addressing them with their employer - be that in open or in more confidential settings.

At Locale Group, this stems from our core values of respect, care and deliver. We respect one another no matter what, we care not only for the work and service we deliver to our clients, but we care for one another. And we deliver not only for our clients but for ourselves. Mental ill-health is amongst us and just like the Covid pandemic, we don’t often see it. So, let’s make sure we are keeping an eye on each another and make mental health something we can address collectively with no shame and no stigma.