Notes
A mental wellbeing policy for: Workplace A
Effective from: 00/00/00
Next review date: 00/00/00
Workplace mental wellbeing policy : SAMPLE POLICY
The need for a workplace mental wellbeing policy
Mental ill health and stress are associated with many of the leading causes of disease and
disability in our society. Promoting and protecting the mental wellbeing of the workforce is
important for individuals’ physical health, social wellbeing and productivity.
Many factors in the workplace influence the mental wellbeing of individual employees, particular
departments or organisations as a whole. Understanding and addressing the factors which affect
people’s mental wellbeing at work have a wide range of benefits, both for individuals and the
organisation.
Mental wellbeing in the workplace is relevant to all employees and everyone can contri
bute
to improved mental wellbeing at work. Addressing workplace mental wellbeing can help
strengthen the positive, protective factors of employment, reduce risk factors for mental ill health
and improve general health. It can also help promote the employment of people who have
experienced mental health problems, and support them once they are at work.
This workplace mental wellbeing policy covers the following aspects of mental health and
wellbeing:
Promotion of mental wellbeing
Promoting the mental wellbeing of all staff through:
• providing information and raising awareness about mental wellbeing
• providing opportunities for employees to look after their mental wellbeing
• promoting policies and practices that promote wellbeing.
Management skills
Developing skills for managers and supervisors to:
• promote the mental wellbeing of employees
• deal with issues around mental health and stress effectively.
Support
Providing support to employees through:
• providing a work environment that promotes and supports mental wellbeing for all
employees
• offering assistance, advice and support to people who experience a mental health problem
while in employment
• support for staff returning to work after a period of absence due to mental health problems.
Employment
Helping people get back to work after a period of absence due to mental illness through:
• recruitment practices
• making reasonable adjustments
• retaining staff who develop a mental health problem.
This section of the
policy could include
information on some of the
following topics:
•
Why and how mental health
and stress affect health
•
Benefits to individual
employees and the
organisation as a whole
•
How the organisation can
promote and support
mental wellbeing
•
How the organisation can
promote employment
of people who have
experienced mental
health problems.
For background information for
this section, see page 34.
Think fit! Think well! | 1
Continued on next page
Workplace mental wellbeing policy: SAMPLE POLICY
Notes
Objectives
To tackle workplace factors that may negatively affect mental wellbeing, and to
develop management skills to promote mental wellbeing and manage mental health
problems effectively.
As an employer we aim to create and promote a workplace environment that supports and
promotes the mental wellbeing of all employees. We acknowledge that certain working
conditions and practices can negatively affect employees’ mental wellbeing, including aspects
of work organisation and management, and environmental and social conditions that have the
potential for psychological as well as physical harm.
Policy actions:
• Give employees information on and increase their awareness of mental wellbeing.
• Provide opportunities for employees to look after their mental wellbeing, for example
through physical activity, stress-buster activities and social events.
• Offer employees flexible working arrangements that promote their mental wellbeing.
• Give all staff the opportunity to influence how they do their jobs, scope for varying their
working conditions as far as possible, and opportunities to develop and fully utilise their skills.
• Set employees realistic targets that do not require them to work unreasonable hours.
• Ensure all staff have clearly defined job descriptions, objectives and responsibilities and
provide them with good management support, appropriate training and adequate
resources to do their job.
• Manage conflict effectively and ensure the workplace is free from bullying and harassment,
discrimination and racism.
• Establish good two-way communication to ensure staff involvement, particularly during
periods of organisational change.
To develop a culture based on trust, support and mutual respect within the workplace.
As an employer we aim to create and promote a culture where employees are able to talk
openly about their job and mental health problems and to report difficulties without fear of
discri
mination or reprisal.
2 | Think fit! Think well!
Scope
Mental health problems and stress can affect anyone, regardless of their position in the
organisation. This policy applies equally to all employees.
The implementation of this policy will also be supported by other health and safety policies,
eg, sickness absence, alcohol, drug and substance abuse, and bullying and harassment.
Aim of the policy
To create a workplace environment that promotes the mental wellbeing of all employees.
The objectives should be
clear and SMART: Specific,
Measurable, Achievable,
Realistic and where possible
Time-specific. See the
examples opposite.
Each objective should
be followed by what the
organisation will do –
‘policy actions’ – to
meet the objectives.
Choose policy actions suitable
for your workplace. Some
suggestions are given opposite.
Include details of any relevant
supporting policies.
An example aim is given on the
right. Another example is:
•
To promote mental
wellbeing for all staff in
the workplace.
Notes
Policy actions:
•
Give non-judgemental and proactive support to individual staff who experience mental health
problems.
•
Deal sympathetically with staff suffering from mental health problems due to circumstances
outside the workplace, and who consequently find it difficult to do their jobs properly.
•
Give new employees a comprehensive induction programme providing an understanding of
the organisation, the established policies and procedures, and the role they are expected to
carry out.
To provide support and assistance for employees experiencing mental health difficulties.
Policy actions:
•
Ensure individuals suffering from mental health problems a
re treated fairly and consistently
and are not made to feel guilty about their problems.
•
Encourage staff to consult the occupational health department (if there is one), their own GP,
or a counsellor of their choice.
•
Investigate the contribution of working conditions and other organisational factors to mental
ill health and remedy this where possible.
•
In cases of long-term sickness absence, put in place, where possible, a graduated return to work.
•
Make every effort to identify suitable alternative employment, in full discussion with the
employee, where a return to the same job is not possible due to identified risks or other factors.
•
Treat all matters relating to individual employees and their mental health problems in
the strictest confidence and share on a ‘need to know’ basis only with consent from the
individual concerned.
To positively encourage the employment of people who have experienced mental
health problems by providing fair and non-discriminatory recruitment and
selection procedures.
As an employer
we recognise that people who have or have had mental health problems may
have experienced discrimination in recruitment and selection procedures. This may discourage
them from seeking employment. While some people will acknowledge their experience of
mental health issues openly, others may fear that stigma will jeopardise their chances of getting a
job. Given appropriate support, the vast majority of people who have experienced mental health
problems continue to work successfully, as do many with ongoing issues.
Policy actions:
•
Show a positive and enabling attitude to employees and job applicants with mental health
issues. This includes having positive statements in recruitm
ent literature.
•
Ensure that all staff involved in recruitment and selection are briefed on mental health issues
and the Disability Discrimination Act, and are trained in appropriate interview skills.
• Make it clear, in any recruitment or occupational health check undertaken, that people who
have experienced mental health issues will not be discriminated against and that disclosure of
a mental health problem will enable both employee and employer to assess and provide the
right level of support or adjustment.
• Do not make assumptions that a person with a mental health problem will be more vulnerable
to workplace stress or take more time off than any other employee or job applicant.
• Ensure all line managers have information and training about managing mental health in
the workplace.
Think fit! Think well! | 3
Workplace mental wellbeing policy: SAMPLE POLICY
Choose policy actions suitable
for your workplace. Some
suggestions are given opposite.
Choose policy actions suitable
for your workplace. Some
suggestions are given opposite.
Choose policy actions suitable
for your workplace. Some
suggestions are given opposite.
Notes
4 | Think fit! Think well!
To recognise that workplace stress is a health and safety issue, and acknowledge the
importance of identifying and reducing workplace stressors.
Policy actions:
• Identify all workplace stressors and conduct risk assessments to eliminate stress or control the
risks from stress. These risk assessments will be regularly reviewed.
• Consult with trade union safety representatives on all proposed action relating to the
prevention of workplace stress.
• Provide training in good management practices, including those related to health and safety
and stress management.
• Provide confidential counselling for staff affected by stress caused by either work or
external factors.
• Provide adequate resources to enable managers to implement the organisation’s agreed
workplace mental wellbeing policy
.
Responsibilities
Everyone has a responsibility to contribute to making the workplace mental wellbeing policy
effective.
Managers have a responsibility to:
• Monitor the workplace, identify hazards and risks and take steps to eliminate or reduce these
as far as is reasonably practicable.
• Ensure good communication between management and staff, particularly where there are
organisational and procedural changes.
• Assist and support employees who are known to have mental health problems or are
experiencing stress outside work – for example due to bereavement or separation.
• Ensure staff are provided with the resources and training required to carry out their job.
• Monitor workloads to ensure that people are not overloaded.
• Monitor working hours and overtime to ensure that staff are not
overworking, and monitor
holidays to ensure that staff are taking their full entitlement.
• Ensure staff are provided with meaningful developmental opportunities.
• In addition, senior management will ensure that staff performing a management or
supervisory function have sufficient competence to discharge that function in a manner
consistent with the maintenance of mental health in the workplace.
Human resources staff have a responsibility to:
• Organise training and awareness courses on workplace mental wellbeing in conjunction
with suitable experts.
• Provide advice and support to employees and managers in relation to this policy.
• Monitor and report on levels of sickness absence which relate to mental health problems
including stress-related illness (in conjunction with the occupationa
l health service and
departmental managers).
Employees have a responsibility to:
• Raise issues of concern and seek help from their safety representative, line manager, human
resources or occupational health department, or use the Employee Assistance Programme if
one is provided.
• Accept opportunities for counselling when recommended.
Choose policy actions suitable
for your workplace. Some
suggestions are given opposite.
Notes
Occupational health and safety staff have a responsibility to:
• Provide specialist advice and awareness training on mental wellbeing.
• Train and support managers in implementing stress risk assessments.
• Support individuals who have been off sick with mental health and stress problems, and
advise them and their management on a planned return to work.
• Refer individuals to workplace counsellors or specialist agencies as required.
• Monitor and review the effectiveness of measures to promote mental wellbeing.
• Inform the employer and the health and safety committee of any changes and developments
in the field of stress at work.
Safety representatives must be:
• meaningfully consulted on any changes to work practices or work design that could
precipitate stress
• able to consult with members on the issue of stress, including conducting workplace surveys
• involved in the risk assessment process
• allowed access to collective and anonymous data from human resources
• provided with paid time away from normal duties to attend trade union training relating to
workplace stress
• able to conduct joint inspections of the workplace at least once every three months, to ensure
that environmental stressors are properly controlled.
Think fit! Think well! | 5
Workplace mental wellbeing policy: SAMPLE POLICY
Review and monitoring
The human resources department (or an individual as appropriate) will be responsible for
reviewing the workplace mental wellbeing policy and for monitoring how effectively the policy
meets its aims and objectives.
Indicators to measure effectiveness could include:
• working hours and patterns
• accidents at work
• staff complaints
• staff sickness levels
• staff turnover
• use of occupational health or counselling services
• the employee survey
• early retirement through ill health
• exit interviews.
The policy will be reviewed six months from implementation and then annually after that to
ensure that it remains relevant.
Date:
Signature:
Regular review and monitoring
are vital to assess the
effectiveness of a workplace
mental wellbeing policy. How
will you track progress?
Staff attitude surveys can
be used to gauge morale
among existing staff, and exit
interviews can help identify
reasons for staff turnover.
