February 2 sees the latest annual Time to Talk Day, an initiative run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, in partnership with the Co-op, that aims to promote mental wellbeing by encouraging conversations among friends, families, communities and workplaces about mental health.
Setting aside a dedicated day to discuss mental health matters can help dispel any stigma around such conditions by allowing people to share their experiences – provided of course that they feel comfortable to do so. But what can employers do to support employees’ mental health throughout the rest of the year?
Employee assistance programmes (EAPs) are a popular benefit option that can provide support in this area. Run by a third party, these usually offer access to (typically six) counselling sessions where staff can talk through their concerns in confidence. Our survey of sick pay, wellbeing and health benefits found that more than three-quarters (77%) of respondents offer such a benefit (while a further 5% offer standalone counselling sessions).
In addition to counselling, EAPs typically also include practical advisory services for other matters that might be contributing to stress or anxiety, such as legal concerns or debt. Such provision may be complemented by an occupational health service that takes an individual’s circumstances into consideration and put in place appropriate support in the workplace.
Organisations are increasingly also training staff to act as mental health first-aiders, giving them skills to spot the signs of mental ill health, assist colleagues who are experiencing a mental health crisis and implement reasonable mental health adjustments when an individual returns to work, as well as promoting a positive workplace culture around mental health matters. Providers of such courses include St John Ambulance and MHFA England.
While there are various supportive measures that employers can put in place, staff may still sometimes need to take sick leave for mental health reasons. Almost all (96%) of respondents to our survey improve on the statutory sick pay entitlement of £99.35 a week, and in most cases such enhancements apply to all staff. The value of occupational sick pay provision typically increases with length of service, with the most generous offering (for employees with at least five years’ service) found in the public sector (36 weeks, or the equivalent value as a combination of full and partial weeks), while private services workers receive 24 weeks’ sick leave at the median. The median value of occupational sick pay across the whole economy for staff with five years’ service or more is 25 weeks.
