Supporting good mental health at work

The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is loneliness, and research carried out by the Mental Health Foundation has revealed that many of us have been affected by loneliness as a result of the covid pandemic.

As a union, we are having discussions with employers to make sure our members are supported as we transition to a ‘new normal’. Working from home may have led to workers feeling isolated from their colleagues, and any hybrid working arrangement must be one that encourages teamwork and collaboration so that it works for everyone.

It is important that we create an open culture around mental health and end the stigma associated with poor mental health. This starts by encouraging conversations in the workplace between staff and employers, so they feel able to raise any concerns.

You can find out whether your employer is doing all they can to support good mental health at work by using our checklist.

Always-on culture

Digital technology is transforming the way we work, and while this has brought many benefits and enabled us to work remotely during the pandemic, it has blurred the line between work and our personal lives.

Remote working has led to many of us working longer hours, exacerbating an always-on working culture where we no longer switch off, this is detrimental to both our mental and physical health.

We have been leading a campaign calling on the Government to step in and redraw those boundaries. Prospect research revealed that 59% of workers support a Right To Disconnect for workers. We have recently seen success in Scotland where the Scottish Government has agreed to introduce a Right To Disconnect for public sector workers.

Support for our reps

We recognise that our workplace representatives go above and beyond to support our members. Reps are volunteers who give up their time to protect their colleagues at work, and we are committed to supporting the mental health of our reps.

This week we are publishing a new resource for workplace reps to help them look after their mental health, we will also be rolling out a mental health awareness training course for reps so that they are properly equipped to understand issues around wellbeing at work.

Managing your wellbeing at work

To mark this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week we have come up with some practical tips to help you manage your wellbeing in the workplace.