Mental health at work matters
Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy reflects on the past year and considers how we make progress on workplace mental health as we emerge from lockdown.
The last year has put a spotlight on physical health and safety in the workplace, and understandably so. Companies have invested in glass partition screens, set up one-way systems, and sourced seemingly endless quantities of hand sanitizer. But this, hopefully temporary, manifestation of the importance of health and safety at work in relation to the virus, should not distract us from the longer term health challenges that employees were facing before the pandemic, many of which have been exacerbated by the experience of the last few months. Central to this is work-related mental health.
Recent polling conducted by Prospect found that around a third of workers reported that their work-related mental health has deteriorated during that last year, with a small percentage saying it has improved. Certain groups, such as women and younger workers, are more likely than others to report negative effects. Of course many organisations have taken steps to support employee wellbeing in these extraordinary circumstances, from simple steps such as organising informal work ‘coffee breaks’ to more formal wellbeing policies. But we all know that there is much more that employers could be doing to support the mental health of their employees.
This is an agenda which Prospect takes incredibly seriously, and we have been working hard in recent months both supporting members and thinking about how we make progress on these issues as we emerge from lockdown. Our online ThoughtExchange with reps has produced many useful case studies and ideas for the future, such as introducing an ‘ask twice’ procedure to ensure people feel able to say when they are not ok, through to providing support to help furloughed workers stay in contact with their colleagues and reintegrate into workplaces. Our mental health checklist also provides a framework to help members and reps think about what might need to change in their workplaces to improve the mental health of workers.
We are also taking forward ideas about broader changes we need to see across society. Our polling revealed that one of the biggest causes of mental ill health for workers is now the inability to switch off from work. This is a problem which affects around one in three workers and an even higher proportion of those who have been working from home. That is why Prospect are leading the campaign for a new Right to Disconnect policy in the forthcoming Employment Bill, helping to draw the lines between work and home and allowing workers to properly unplug.
This Mental Health Awareness Week we will be showcasing the work we are doing to support members and renewing our campaigning efforts to achieve tangible changes that support the mental health of all workers in the future.
