According to the Mental Health Foundation around 12.7% of absences at work are related to mental health problems. This issue is particularly prominent amongst white-collar workers, often due to long hours, tight deadlines and high expectations.
The Covid-19 pandemic has also accelerated the trend of working from home and without the commute to mark the end of the working day, many people have found themselves working overtime while struggling to mentally ‘log off’.
If you’re a manager within a white collar industry, there’s plenty of things you can do to alleviate your employees’ stress and create a supportive working environment. Here’s a few suggestions to get you started…
Implement a mental health structure at work
According to Mind, only 6% of employees said that they would be comfortable taking a day off work for mental health, this is in stark contrast to the 20% who said they would be happy to stay off due to a physical illness. Having a mental health protocol in place removes this expectation to ‘soldier on’, while emphasising that mental health is taken seriously by your company. The plan should detail the support available, should it be needed, as well as how you will promote and nurture employee well-being.
2. Schedule regular check-ins
Block some time out of your calendar each week to meet individually with your team members. This will give them the opportunity to share anything that’s on their mind in a zero-pressure setting, whether that be a project which is causing anxiety, extra pressures at home or simply what they’re having for tea! One-on-one dialogue is particularly important for those working from home, as it might be harder to tell if someone is struggling off camera. Not only will this time help promote conversation around mental health, but also allow you to build stronger rapport with your colleagues.
3. Promote a healthy work/life balance
Encourage your employees to take regular annual leave so that they have time to refresh and enjoy their life outside of work. In fact, those who return from annual leave have proven to be 40% more productive, as well as less fatigued and more focused. As a white collar manager it is also vital to not only encourage, but model healthy behaviours. For example, going on a walk at lunch or taking breaks away from your desk normalises prioritising your mental health. Company socials are another great way to promote team bonding and gives employees the space to get to know each other away from work-focused conversation.
These are just a few ways in which you can help promote the well-being of your employees as a manager in a white-collar industry. Of course, you know your team better than we do! Make sure you’re doing what works best for you, your workplace and suits the individual needs of each employee because everyone is different.
You can find further resources on supporting your employees’ mental health in the workplace here.
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