Mental ill-health affects one in five people in Northern Ireland – that means that 20% of employees in the average organisation will experience mental ill-health at some stage. Learn how to reduce stigma in the workplace by creating a culture of openness where employees feel supported and able to talk about their mental health, if they choose to do so.
Mental ill-health often goes unmentioned because people are afraid of saying the wrong thing. Cited as one of the leading causes of absence from work, this issue is not something that employers can ignore.
Did you know?
- Mental ill-health affects one in five people in Northern Ireland¹ – that means that 20% of employees in the average organisation will have experienced mental ill-health at some stage.
- When matched to 17 other countries, NI had the 2nd highest rates of mental ill-health issues
- Prevalence of mental illness in Northern Ireland is 25% higher than in England
So what can your business do about it?
- Reduce stigma by creating a culture of openness within the workplace where employees experiencing mental ill-health feel supported and able to talk if they choose to do so.
- Empower line managers and staff with greater knowledge and understanding of mental ill-health; how to spot the signs, offer support before and during a period of absence, and how to welcome employees back to the workplace.
What is Business in the Community doing?
We are committed to supporting employers to tackle mental ill-health in the workplace and have produced a range of Toolkits for employers. Please use these resources or email Catherine Downey for more information.
Resources
Mental Health at Work Report 2020
Key findings: Mental Health at Work 2020 reveals the scale and impact of the pandemic on the mental health of employees. The report also profiles the impressive progress that employers have continued to make in the face of more than six months of disruption. In addition, this creates optimism for the future as the nation’s businesses continue to navigate through the evolving crisis, and build back responsibly.
Download report
The Mental Health Toolkit for Line Managers
Developed in partnership with Action Mental Health and in consultation with a number of employers across public and private sector, this free resource has been designed for line managers. The Toolkit is intended to give you greater confidence to support an employee or colleague who may be showing signs of mental ill-health. The Toolkit broadly follows this model of before, during and after absence, and uses the Action Mental Health ‘Mindful Manager’ model of ‘Listen, Ask, Signpost and Support’ as a guiding framework. To download your free copy of the Toolkit, please click here
Mental Health Charter
Business in the Community supports the Equality Commission’s recently launched Mental Health Charter for employers and service providers and are encouraging businesses to join them in signing up. The Charter, jointly produced by the Equality Commission, Action Mental Health, Disability Action, Mindwise, Mental Health Foundation and Niamh, provides a framework for working towards mentally healthy workplaces.
Those who sign up to the Charter will undertake to promote good mental health which will be beneficial to their organisation, employees and the whole community in Northern Ireland. To find out more, visit: www.equalityni.org
For more information on how Business in the Community can help you to address mental ill-health in the workplace, please email catherine.downey@bitcni.org.uk.
¹Mental Health in Northern Ireland Fundamental Facts 2023, Mental Health Foundation