Learning from the experts – the business case for workplace wellbeing
Leading mental health charity, Mind, will promote better workplace wellbeing through distributing mental health awareness courses in partnership with learning consultancy and course designers, Walkgrove. More than seven in ten employees (71%) have experienced mental health problems in their lives, whilst over one in two (53%) employees are affected by poor mental health in their current workplace. But most employees feel uncomfortable talking about mental health at work. Mind’s courses respond to business calls for more guidance, offering practical advice about how to boost workplace wellbeing.
Award-winning learning consultancy, Walkgrove, has been chosen by Mind as exclusive distributor of their mental health awareness e-learning courses.
Mind regularly surveys thousands of employees as part of their Workplace Wellbeing Index – a benchmark of best policy and practice when it comes to how employers are promoting staff mental health. Mind’s latest research of around 44,000 staff taking part in the survey found that only around half of employees (45 per cent) felt their manager would be able to spot if they were having problems with their mental health. If managers aren’t aware that there is a problem, they may not put in place the extra support employees may need to be able to thrive in their roles, and things can get worse.
Walkgrove was commissioned by Mind to design two introductory-level e-learning modules that would improve understanding of workplace mental health issues within organisations of all sizes and sectors. The training courses develop employees’ skills in looking after their own wellbeing and offer line managers simple but effective tools to support their teams.
After receiving encouraging feedback from the initial training roll-out, Mind selected Walkgrove to help promote their mental health awareness e-learning more widely.
Emma Mamo, Head of Workplace Wellbeing at Mind, said: “We know that many staff regularly experience issues like stress, anxiety and depression, so it’s really important that employers take steps to address the work-related causes of these problems. Thankfully, there are lots of small, inexpensive measures employers can put in place that make a huge difference to staff wellbeing. Training and interventions save money in the long run, through increased productivity and decreased sickness absence. Mind’s cost-effective e-learning courses provide practical actions that can help workplaces promote good mental health for all employees, including those experiencing mental health problems.”
Walkgrove Managing Director, Sarah Smith, said: “We are proud to work in partnership with Mind to support better mental health. The awareness courses provide the perfect opportunity for organisations to demonstrate their commitment to employee wellbeing, through delivering consistent and positive messages about mental health from a credible and trusted source.”
Find out more
Read more about Mind Training and how to book mental health training for staff here: https://www.mind.org.uk/workplace
About Mind:
- We’re Mind, the mental health charity. We provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. We campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. We won't give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets both support and respect. mind.org.uk
- Please note that Mind is not an acronym and should be set in title case.
- Mind has a confidential information and support line, Mind Infoline, available on 0300 123 3393 (lines open 9am - 6pm, Monday – Friday)
- Our online mental health community Elefriends is a safe space where anyone aged 18 and over with experience of a mental health problem can share their story, connect with others, access Mind’s wider information and resources, and give support in return. Find out more at mind.org.uk/community
- Contact Mind’s Media Team for interviews or further information on 0208 522 1743. For out of hours support, call 07850 788 514 or email media@mind.org.uk.
- To access to a range of free images to accompany mental health news stories, visit: time-to-change.org.uk/getthepicture. These images have been developed by Time to Change, a campaign to change how we all think and act about mental health problems. Time to Change is led by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and funded by the Department of Health, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund.