Whether you’re a small business or a large organisation, employers have a legal duty to prevent work-related stress and to support good mental health in the workplace.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), stress, depression and anxiety continue to be the most common causes of work-related ill health in the UK. In the 2023/24 period, around 1.7 million workers reported work-related ill health, with 46% of those cases attributed to stress, depression or anxiety. Stress Awareness Month this April is an ideal opportunity to make stress prevention and mental wellbeing part of everyday workplace culture.
The HSE’s 5 steps of Working Minds Campaign, a free resource, outlines simple steps employers can take to prevent stress and support their team’s mental wellbeing:
- Reach out and have conversations
- Recognise the signs and causes of stress
- Respond to any risks you’ve identified by agreeing on action points
- Reflect on the actions you’ve agreed and taken – have things improved?
- Make it routine to check in on how people are feeling and coping
Being proactive can improve productivity, reduce sickness absence and help retain valued workers. For work-related measures to be effective, they should be part of your organisation’s everyday practices and not just for Stress Awareness Month. To prevent stress and support mental health at work, your organisation should aim to:
- Educate your people about the causes and effects of stress
- Promote effective stress management techniques to enhance mental health and wellbeing
- Encourage open conversations to reduce the stigma surrounding stress and mental health issues
- Provide resources and support to help individuals manage stress effectively
At Thomas Carroll, we offer a comprehensive Workplace Wellbeing Service that focuses on helping you identify and improve your employees’ mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
This includes:
- Unlimited 24-hour counselling helpline
- Citizens Advice-based information service
- 24-hour telephone critical incident response
- Access to online resources via a wellbeing portal
- Up to 8 counselling sessions per employee
- Weekly online wellbeing webinars
We also offer training courses to help both staff and managers better understand and support mental health at work:
- Mental Health Awareness
- Stress Essentials
- Managing Mental Health in the Workplace
- Stress and Mental Health Awareness for Managers
To learn more about how we can support your organisation in identifying and managing workplace stress, contact TCMS at tcms@thomas-carroll.co.uk or call 02920 853731.
