Topic key points
- Business leaders, supervisors and managers play an essential role in supporting the mental health of employees.
- This is not only important from an organisational performance perspective, but there are also legal requirements when it comes to protecting and supporting employee mental health at work.
- There are many points in which leaders have a positive role to play, including role-modelling, creating an open culture, noticing signs, having conversations and connecting employees with supports.
- This page outlines a range of resources that can be helpful at each stage.
Introduction to Topic
Although leaders/managers are not required to be counsellors, they can still have a big influence on the mental health of employees. Leaders create change, influence policies and practices, and inspire others to speak up. Small actions can have a big impact on the mental health of those around them, such as promoting healthy behaviours, talking openly about mental health, offering the right support and creating a positive and inclusive workplace culture. When employees feel valued and supported by their leadership team, they are more productive, which benefits a business’s bottom line.
However, this can be a challenging topic for many leaders, and as a coach, you are in a great position to guide them through this process. This page includes resources you can share that cover:
Creating a mentally healthy culture:
- This includes things like how to talk about mental health at work, how to role-model good mental health language, good training to roll-out and posters to put in visible places.
- There are several posters included on this page. It is a good idea to encourage your client to place posters like these around the workplace. Doing this can help create a more open and supportive culture around mental health.
Noticing signs of mental ill-health:
- What signs and symptoms might indicate that someone might be struggling with their mental health and how to train managers/staff to notice signs.
Having mental health conversations:
- Mental health conversations can be daunting, but they are an important part of building a mentally healthy workplace. Fortunately, there are several resources that can guide people through having these conversations.
Connecting employees with resources/supports:
- Managers do not have to be counsellors. Often, a large part of providing support is connecting people with services and resources. This section outlines how to effectively connect employees with resources and some common supports.
Process Considerations
- Many people-leaders are unsure of having mental-health related conversations because they won’t know what to say or how to respond. This is a very common concern, and it is a good idea to normalise and validate the experience. It can be helpful to let them know that they don’t need to be counsellors. Their job is to open up a conversation, provide support and facilitate help seeking.
- Some leaders think that one conversation is enough, but often it is best to provide some degree of ongoing support. This can be as simple as scheduling in a follow-up chat or allowing for some reasonable adjustments to be made at work.
Included resources
General
- Beyond Blue: ‘Mental health at work and why it matters’
- Australian Government Workplace Mental Health Free Training
- Asking R U OK? At work: A practical guide to supporting employees you are concerned about
- Blueprint for Mentally Healthy Workplaces
- Black Dog Institute: Workplace mental health guide
- Guide for Small Businesses to Improve MH & Wellbeing (Heads Up)
- People managers guide to managing mental health at work
Creating a mentally healthy workplace culture
- Head Coach Providing Support
- NSW Government resource kit for leaders
- Tips for reducing mental health stigma
- Find mental health training that’s right for your business
- Seven Actions to Help Create a Mentally Healthy Workplace
Noticing signs of mental ill-health
- Head Coach Recognising Mental Health Issues Poster
- Head Coach Identifying People at Risk
- R U OK? Signs that it’s time to ask R U OK
Having mental health conversations
- NSW Government conversation guide
- Head Coach Having the talk, helping employees you’re concerned about
- Tips for having mental health conversations with men
- Asking R U OK? At work: A practical guide to supporting employees you are concerned about
Connecting employees with resources/supports
- Head Coach Resources and Support Services available outside of work
- Returning to Work – helping employees you’re concerned about
- Mental Health Helplines
- R U OK Having a Conversation Poster with support services
Copy for Clients
As discussed in session, finding ways to support employee mental health is becoming a common concern for leaders and managers. Fortunately, there are several things that you can do to create a more mentally healthy workplace. Attached are some resources that may help you with this. I have included… [brief descriptions of the resources you chose to send].