While firms and companies have been increasing focussed on the health and safety of their staff over the past few years, the same concern for their employee’s mental health’s concerns at their place of work is a far more recent phenomenon.
The Confederation of British Industry conducted a survey on the issue in which 90 per cent of correspondents agreed that employees’ mental health in the workplace should be of concern to companies, but less than a tenth of them had formulated a mental health policy.
With most people spending a high proportion of their time at work the importance of mental health in the workplace should not be overlooked. Because of the stressful nature of work the mental and psychological well being of staff should be equally important as all other aspects of health and safety at work. In fact it should most probably be the factor of most concern within a companies health and safety regimen.
It is welcome news that firms are becoming increasingly aware of mental health concerns in the workplace, encouraging management and staff to cope better with work related stress through attendance at courses.
These kinds of mental health training courses are invaluable on two levels; firstly it enables staff to be more aware of the stress they are feeling and provides them with tips and techniques to control those feelings and, secondly, it equips staff to recognise signs of stress in their co-workers.
It is important that businesses take advantage of the courses that are available as a stressed workforce will, in the long term, negatively impact on productivity and profitability. In the short term it will cause problems on the shop floor as well as a rise in absenteeism. Sending staff on a mental health training course will provide solutions for those already feeling the pressures of stress but will also be a pre-emptive safeguard to other employees who will learn how to identify the symptoms of stress and be able to take measures to ensure that stress doesn’t develop.
Attending mental health in the workplace awareness courses will also produce this, one of the biggest benefits. Both management and worker will learn just what stress is as well as what its cause is.
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