Stress Management And Mental Health In The Workplace

In recent years more and more attention has been focused on the health and welfare of employees within companies of all sizes yet it is only very recently that businesses have began to address the mental health issues faced by staff.

The CBI (Confederation of British Industry) held a survey in which it was reported that nine out ten employees believed that the companies they worked for should be concerned about the mental health of their staff. Yet, less than one in ten of companies have an adequate mental health policy.

Of course, many people spend a large amount of their time at work so it makes good business sense to make sure that mental health issues are not ignored. Because of the stressful nature of work the mental and psychological well being of staff should be equally important as all other aspects of health and safety at work. In fact it should most probably be the factor of most concern within a companies health and safety regimen.

The good news is that more companies are now becoming aware of mental health issues within the workforce and actively encourage management and staff to attend training courses designed to being stress under control in the workplace.

These kinds of mental health training courses are invaluable on two levels; firstly it enables staff to be more aware of the stress they are feeling and provides them with tips and techniques to control those feelings and, secondly, it equips staff to recognise signs of stress in their co-workers.

The value of these kind of courses should not be under-estimated as failing to address the problems of stress in the workplace could lead to reduced effectiveness from the staff and a general decline in productivity. Initially it can result in staff taking more time off and can lead to issues amongst the workforce. Sending staff on a mental health training course will provide solutions for those already feeling the pressures of stress but will also be a pre-emptive safeguard to other employees who will learn how to identify the symptoms of stress and be able to take measures to ensure that stress doesn?t develop.

Possibly the single biggest advantage in sending staff and management teams to a mental health training course is that they will gain a valuable insight into understanding stress and how it is caused. This knowledge will help staff at all levels of the company to perform better and to be aware of the importance of monitoring their own and their colleagues levels of stress.