Employee wellbeing is something no manager can ignore any longer. A mental illness is not yet considered a workplace injury, but there is no doubt that awareness of mental illness is on the increase, along with the deleterious impact on employees and the team when people are suffering in this way. The subject is rising to the top of the corporate agenda and needs the attention of the board.
There is no doubt that mental health issues are on the rise. The pandemic and lockdowns have left their scars whether or not there was a loss in the family due to coronavirus. Add in now the stress associated with rising energy and food bills, and there is little wonder that some are finding life a struggle.
Leading mental health charity Mind says the toxic combination is already having an impact on wellbeing with a 30% increase in calls to its helpline about finance and that in July there were 12,000 calls to the Samaritans where finance was mentioned as a key concern. In a letter in August to the incoming Prime Minister, Mind and other mental health charities have warned: “The cost of living crisis could put our entire mental health system on the brink of collapse.”
The rising concerns about the impact of mental illness led to the IPIA devoting its autumn conference to well being and sustainability, two of the key themes across the industry currently. “The Covid-19 pandemic triggered a real cultural shift in how people see their work/life balance and what motivates them and influences their productivity,” the association announced before the conference held after this issue reached the printer. General manager Brendan Perring explained the aim of the event was to educate delegates “in how to improve the wellbeing and happiness of their teams, because a happy team is a more productive team”.
There is ready support at Baker Labels in Brentwood which has been a leading advocate for wellbeing at work over many years, starting before these issues had bubbled to the surface. Managing director Steve Baker has explained that this is like maintenance for any other asset, needed to keep everybody focused on their job and in top condition. In short wellbeing is a business issue.
“People are Baker’s greatest assets, and we invest a great deal in the growth and development both professionally and personally to ensure we have motivated, skilled, loyal employees,” says Baker. The research supports this view. Deloitte UK has calculated that there is an average return of £5.50 for every £1 that employers invest in staff wellbeing. During a round table on wellbeing at work, Mind’s head of workplace Emma Mamo said that mental health related sickness absence was costing UK businesses a record £53-56 billion annually.
“We are now presented with the opportunity for a reset and fundamentally redesign the way we work and put employee wellbeing at the heart of this. This is the time to create workplaces where people can be their authentic self and be supported to thrive,” she says.
As with other certifications, wellbeing is a journey starting with simple measures and expanding, even for a business like Baker Labels. This summer it received level one accreditation for Wellbeing at Work from Essex County Council. It is the next step in a process to evaluate plan and improve the wellbeing programme already in place.
Nor is this a passive programme. Baker has pledged to encourage staff to make lifestyle behaviour changes, to appoint workplace health champions who undergo training including courses on ‘making every contact count’ and ‘suicide awareness’; organise an anonymous staff survey to gauge levels of physical and mental health, create a plan of action based on these findings and continue to monitor how events, support and training is communicated through the business. At this point Baker Labels has nine of these workplace health champions from across different areas of the business. It is not stopping here; the company is targeting level 2 and level 3 accreditation, and is already putting in place recommendations about ensuring a healthy environment at work.
Other print companies are starting to follow suit in recognition of the importance of creating a culture that is supportive of wellbeing and that does not stigmatise mental illness. Having a safety valve is crucial, both for staff and for owners that can bear the burden of keeping a business afloat and staff employed. This led the Printing Charity to set up a 24-hour hotline which employees can call with discretion guaranteed. A number of businesses across the industry have expressed support for the initiative.
Callers speak to counsellors who are accredited to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. This is the leading body representing counsellors. The conversation is not limited to work issues, nor to a single call. It is a first step on a path to wellbeing.
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