| A recent Deloitte report estimated that the total annual cost of poor mental health to employers, has increased by 25% since 2019. Work can be mentally demanding at times, but when it's happening frequently or over a long period of time, it can lead to stress and really start to affect our physical and mental health. Building a supportive workplace, where workers look out for each other, feel able to talk about how they are feeling and relationships are positive, can help to reduce and prevent, stress developing. It's not all down to employers, we all have a responsibility to look after both our own, and others, mental health, in and out of work. Not just for one week or one month – but all year round. How can we make looking after our mental health just as routine as managing safety at work? The first thing for you to be aware of is that the law requires employers to assess the potential risk from work related stress and act on it. If you didn't know, don't worry – you can get started today with five simple steps: 1. reach out and have the conversations 2. recognise the signs of stress 3. respond to any risks identified 4. reflect on what's happened 5. make it routine You might also find it useful to download a risk assessment template. If you're struggling to get conversations started, our Talking Toolkits can help to kick-start simple, practical conversations with workers. 13-19 June is Men's Health Week, encouraging all men to take notice of what's going on in their body and mind. Men's Health Week is coordinated by Men's Health Forum and aims to bring awareness to health issues that affect men disproportionately and focuses on getting men to become aware of problems they may have or could develop, and gain the courage to do something about it. Research and data indicate while with the focus on the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years, we have taken our eyes off other serious conditions: - Early stage cancer diagnoses fell by third in first lockdown and that shortfall has continued
- Macmillan Cancer Support say around 50,000 people have missed a cancer diagnosis during the pandemic (prostate cancer diagnoses were down 29% between 2019 and 2020)
- Male GP visits fell more than female visits
We're supporting and promoting Men's Health Week through our Working Minds campaign. Do you recognise signs of stress in yourself and colleagues? Take control of stress at work with Working Minds - the campaign provides employers and workers with easy to implement advice to prevent work-related stress and encourage good mental health. Personal stories are powerful and really motivate people to take action and help overcome stigma around work-related stress and mental health. If you've done something to prevent or tackle work-related stress and mental health problems – please tell us about it so that we can share ideas with others. Perhaps you did something innovative to keep in touch with people working from home during lockdown, or have done something to help people feel more confident about returning to work post-COVID. Contact us at this link with a brief outline of your example(s) and someone on our team will be in touch.
Podcast series - Make UK, which represents, champions and celebrates British manufacturing and manufacturers, has joined our Working Minds campaign as an official partner and launched a podcast series on the importance of mental health.
Listen to the Make UK podcast series Blogs - Health, Safety and Sustainability consultant at Make UK, Peter Thorpe has also written a blog on how the pandemic drove employee wellbeing up the agenda for many of its organisations
- You can also read a guest blog for Mind from Caroline Bradshaw, newest member of HSE's Stress Policy team, on making mental health a year-round commitment
Webinar - Watch the webinar 'What every small business needs to know', delivered by Peter Kelly, HSE senior psychologist, on stress and mental health at work
Other resources - Take our quiz and test your knowledge of work-related stress and mental health, including what's needed to comply with the law
- If you'd like to help raise awareness of work-related stress and its impact on mental health, become a champion of the Working Minds campaign. You'll receive a monthly update with access to a dedicated resource hub to share with your organisation, colleagues, friends and family
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