Evidence Based Ways To Improve Workplace Wellbeing: Part 2

This part 2 of 3. Check out part 1 here.

Implement mental health programmes in the workplace

Most full-time workers in the UK spend 7+ hours every weekday working. We spend a lot of our time at or “in” work, so it’s no surprise that it can influence our psychological states. Work and mental health have always been closely connected, we found this in our research with clients too. Yet post pandemic, the influence of work on mental health has been made starker for people.

People are expecting more from their employers in terms of mental health support. If they don’t get it, they are choosing to leave. In the UK, the ONS suggests a major driver for young people leaving the workforce is due to mental health.

This is a problem for employers who care about the wellbeing of their employees. Along with wellbeing, costs around turnover and presenteeism can end up costing us as a society up £60B.

The good news is, the mental health interventions are some of the most impactful programmes you can implement to support employee wellbeing. Multiple studies across countries show that £1 spent on mental health programmes can deliver anywhere from £3 to £6 in return.

So what actually works?

1. Proactive management: Companies that offered programmes aimed at prevention of mental health conditions were found to have more impact on individuals and organisations compared to reactive programmes which managed individuals once unwell.

2. Mental health Promotion: It doesn’t matter how many mental health programmes are available, if company culture doesn’t support individuals to seek help then employers won’t see any impact. Senior staff are particularly important here, as one graduate explained to me in an interview; “I attended the wellbeing workshop, and a Senior Director opened up about their mental health challenges. It was totally unexpected, but it made a huge difference to me in seeking support.” Whether it is storytelling or training leaders in being able to support, culture change is a big driver of impact.

3. Targeting those who need support: Whether it is employers who are caregivers, new parents or young people making their way into the working world, targeted support has been found to drive impact.

At Eudaimonia Health, we partner with clients to improve health and wellbeing in homes, workplaces and local communities.