What is Mental Health?

The World Health Organization describes mental health as “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community or workplace.”

We all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. Both change throughout our lives, and like our bodies, our minds can become unwell. It determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. It can include an individual’s ability to enjoy life and to create a balance between life and work activities, and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.

Taking Responsibility

Agility DGS (UK) Limited recognizes that the success and longevity of our business relies on the collective, positive mental health of our employees. Positive mental health gives a person strength when faced with life’s stresses, challenges, and setbacks, and also goes hand in hand with our employees’ professional lives as well as personal. Whether an employee has a mental health problem or not, as an employer we have a duty of care to all employees under health and safety legislation. Agility also recognises that our employees have the right to work somewhere safe.

The business therefore considers the mental health and well being of its employees a critical element of employee welfare and knows that addressing the importance of mental health in the workplace benefits everyone. A healthy state of mind can foster self-worth and contentment within the workplace which in turn nurtures high performance and a strong corporate culture.

It is important that our employees understand that first and foremost the business is not here to judge but to inform and assist. We actively encourage all of our staff to not be afraid to share their concerns and issues where appropriate. Age is not considered a specific factor in our approach to mental health and well-being, but it is also recognized that increasing age brings changes in cognition and emotion that have impacts on subjective well-being, social relationships, decision making, and self-control. 

Whether it be the Vice President of the company or the most junior member of the team, all must look after their mental health and well-being when at work as well as at home. If an individual has an issue at any point in life, however mild, there is help and support.    

Leading a healthy and balanced work/home lifestyle promotes longevity and protects mental and emotional health—all vital to an employee’s overall well-being. As a responsible employer our aim is for all employees to gain confidence and skills by developing and rewarding their capabilities and by being available for regular work-related conversations as well as providing formal training.

Fact: One in four people will suffer from a common mental health issue at work every year, which can have a significant impact on employee well-being. These issues are a major cause of long-term absence from work. That’s a sobering statistic—it’s likely that an employee we know needs health and well-being support.

Top management is aware of the costs of mental health issues to the business, and fortifying the workforce against negative emotions and anxiety that accompany difficult times can help a person navigate with alertness and remain productive. Lost productivity, absenteeism, having to recruit and train employees due to high turnover are all potentially related to poor employee mental health.

Given that mental health can have an impact on finances, productivity, and turnover, a key component of our business model is considering employee mental health when making business decisions.

Damaged Reputation and Negative Brand Association

In an age when customers value how a business treats its staff and don’t hesitate to share their experiences on social media, it’s likely that low employee morale will make itself known to our customers, clients, and the public at large. Employees and the work they do give a face and reputation to the business, especially given the nature of what it is we do in the service industry. An employer who does not pay attention to workers’ mental health needs risks having its corporate brand associated with callousness and negativity, which can have an adverse impact on talent acquisition and sales.

Company Wellness Initiatives

Key to the success of Agility employee contentment in the workplace and a sense of ‘well-being’ by all is seen not only as the responsibility of top management but that of all employees including managers and supervisors through to our coordinators. This is achieved by promoting a culture of open communication, respect, and support among team members and managers that in turn promotes mental health and wellness amongst our employees.

Check-ins With Supervisors

Regular meetings give our supervisors the opportunity to gauge how an employee is feeling. Discussions can include issues the employee has, solutions available to them, and career pathing to keep the employee engaged and working towards goals.

The business promotes human factor engineering practices that include the following:

• Training sessions that cover the general aspects of mental health and well-being.

• Signposting of mental health and well-being support networks available to employees. 

• Provision of comfortable workspaces with the focus on a safe and healthy working environment. 

• Ensuring that our employees take regular breaks and personal leave.

• Creating a culture where excessive hours are discouraged.

• Making sure our employees are confident, well equipped and supported to do their job to a high standard.

• Reviewing work demands regularly and giving employees a say in how they work.

• Provision of supervisory support networks to hybrid working where required.

Personal Success Stories

Post COVID, the business has seen the majority of the workforce return to the office workspace with only a small element requesting a preference of hybrid or home working as a result of how the pandemic had affected their personal and work life.

In line with Agility policy, all employees have a right to request a transfer to ‘hybrid’ or ‘home working’ which is in turn discussed with line managers and the employee notified of the decision. It is recognized by senior management that there a need in certain circumstances for flexible scheduling or remote working that supports a particular employee’s work/life balance that allows the individual to meet their own personal needs but also achieves the employer’s aim of continued productivity and employee contentment. 

Allowing employees to work flexible hours or the ability for some remote work can be a relatively simple, low-cost option that accounts for personal circumstances and promotes retention. The general thinking is to encourage an employee return to office culture with careful consideration given to the role, function, and requirements of each employee if they should request hybrid or home working. What remains key is that all employees feel that they are valued and remain part of the team.

Employee comment to manager during staff appraisal:

‘We work closely together as a team even though I am a remote worker, which gives me a sense of self-worth and builds my self-esteem.’

Employees who are satisfied with their job and have strong social networks in the workplace tend to exhibit high loyalty. Conversely, when interactions with colleagues and supervisors are tense and the business’s internal structure leaves little room for growth, low morale is likely. Unless action is taken to help an employee feel valued and cared for, they are at risk of leaving the business to search for a more suitable arrangement.

It is important that managers understand the needs of the workforce and recognize the signs of employee stress, anxiety, or interaction with the team. The business regularly conducts one-on-one discussions with employees in order to gauge satisfaction both in the personal and professional sense within the workplace. Managers have received awareness training to spot the warning signs and find opportunity to approach what can be a delicate issue with an employee they believe is struggling within the work space. An example of post session feedback between a line manager and employee who was suffering in silence is that below: 

Employee comment to manager during support interview:

‘I was proud of my ability to keep my anxiety and mental health issues hidden from my colleagues and saw it as a sign of strength. Until the day it became impossible…’

Conclusion

In summary, in order to be successful, we must invest in our people and create an environment which is considered safe, and staff feel both valued and able to engage with managers. Mental health and well-being are registered objectives of the business. 

Best, Better, Good enough 

• Live to work or work to live?

• Quality of life?

• Home/work balance? 

• Self-fulfilment and contentment?

• Understand the importance of mental health and well-being in the workplace and how to recognize possible symptoms in yourself and others.