Reports suggest the cost of working days lost to mental ill health in Northern Ireland could be as much as £125 million a year. Taking steps to tackle work related stress and promote mental wellbeing could reduce sickness absences and staff turnover leading to increased productivity and performance.
Employers are being encouraged to promote positive mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
The launch of new guidance released by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSE NI) highlights how employers and employees can work together to improve mental wellbeing, by taking a positive organisation-wide approach and implementing changes in ways of working, such as improved line management and flexible working.
Professor Peter McKie, Chairman of HSE NI said, “Generally it is clear how we can go about providing for safety within the workplace. However, some organisations find real difficulties in recognising work-related stress and supporting the promotion of mental wellbeing. Employers should recognise the early warning signs of work related mental health conditions such as stress, depression and anxiety and take appropriate measures to build healthier, more resilient workplaces. This has to be a priority not only for HSE NI, but for all employing bodies, be they in the public or private sector".
Peter Aiken, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Branch of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development said, “There are many benefits from promoting mental wellbeing and addressing work-related stress. These include improved morale and staff well-being, organizational efficiency, customer service, improvements in sickness absence and staff retention never mind competitiveness and innovation. This mental wellbeing guidance produced by the HSE NI will support organisations in doing this".
During the current economic climate, it is therefore even more important that employers, line managers and HR work together to ensure that they maintain a positive spin on the implementation of their redundancy programmes.
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