Mental health awareness week webinar highlights

Around 200 colleagues attended our webinar for mental health awareness week last month! 

For those of you that couldn’t make it, here is a summary of what we covered.

Mental health challenges

We wanted to focus on practical tools for real mental ill health situations that arise every day in the workplace. 

We heard from the audience that some of the challenges they face include:

• The balancing act of supporting staff while trying to ensure business continuity 

• Employee personal life stressors leading to mental ill health and sickness absence 

• Finding it hard to know the right things to say when discussing mental ill health in the workplace 

• Managing employees expectations around leaning on HR for therapeutic support 

• Managing risk 

Each of these is its own challenge! But this list demonstrates the complexity that managers and HR are supporting at work on a day to day basis. 

We discussed a simple three step mental health framework, and applied it to some fictional case studies. 

The three step framework is: 

1. Recognise

2. Respond 

3. Refer/ manage 

In short, anyone concerned about mental ill health in the workplace can use these steps to guide what to do next. 

Recognise: when something doesn’t seem quite right, whether it be a colleague’s behavior changing or a sudden increase in sickness absence, we need to be detecting that something has changed. ‘Recognising’ can be detecting an abstract change, rather than someone coming to you specifically sharing that they are experiencing mental ill health. If we do not recognise that something is up, we cannot help. 

Respond: once we have recognised that someone might be experiencing mental ill health at work, we need to respond. Responses can be different depending on the circumstance. Usually, this will begin with speaking to the colleague, making local changes and signposting to support. If concerned about a peer, you might speak to them and suggest they speak to their manager. If you are a manager concerned about a team member, you might speak to them and suggest a meeting with HR for support. 

Refer/ manage: There will be some cases where you are able to support a colleague with mental ill health without OH input. In more complex or high risk cases, or cases where the individual does not want to share their health information with managers/HR, it can be good to bring in occupational health support early. 

Common roadblocks

When trying to navigate these three steps, there can be roadblocks to progress. Typical roadblocks include:

• Employees who do not wish to disclose health information

• Complex clinical situations beyond the expertise of managers or HR

• Concerns about safety or professional responsibilities

• Uncertainty about fitness for work

• Fit note recommendations that do not align with workplace observations

When these issues arise, occupational health can help move the process forward.

What does occupational health do? 

Occupational health is a clinically led and confidential service focussed on the relationship between work and health.  

OH is able to speak to the individual and find out more about their health, map their needs to support and liaise with their treating clinician such as their GP. Occupational health can assess clinical risk as it relates to the workplace, provide clear advice on fitness for work and suggest specific adaptations to keep people in work or support people to return to work. 

We explored the three step framework using a fictional case study: 

Ms B is a children’s activity coordinator at a leisure centre. Over the previous two months, she has become increasingly agitated with colleagues. She has raised her voice during staff meetings and, on one occasion, threw a book during the end-of-day clean-up.

Her manager becomes concerned and consults HR.

Recognise

The manager and HR notice a significant change in behaviour and identify that something may be wrong.

Respond

HR and the manager meet with Ms B to discuss their concerns and reinforce the professional standards expected in her role. Ms B declines to share details about her health or personal circumstances but agrees to improve her conduct.

Roadblock

Although the conversation has taken place, two important challenges remain:

• Ms B wishes to maintain her confidentiality

• There are concerns about risk, particularly as she works directly with children

Refer

Given these concerns, referral to occupational health is appropriate.

Occupational Health Assessment

During a confidential consultation, the occupational health clinician identifies:

• Anxiety and low mood

• Increased alcohol use

• Significant personal stressors

• No current support from healthcare professionals

Ms B agrees to contact her GP having discussed her situation with occupational health, 

Due to her level of alcohol consumption, occupational health advises that she is temporarily not fit for work until her condition improves. A follow-up plan is established, and a high-level management plan is shared with her manager while maintaining medical confidentiality.

Webinar takeaways

When mental health concerns arise in the workplace, managers and HR do not need to have all the answers.

A simple framework can provide structure and confidence:

• Recognise: Something does not seem quite right.

• Respond: Open a supportive conversation and explore possible next steps.

• Refer or Manage: Seek additional support when the situation is complex or risk is a concern. Occupational health provides clinical and confidential expertise. 

By using this approach, managers and HR can provide effective, compassionate support while ensuring employees receive the right level of help at the right time.

Need support managing mental health concerns in the workplace?

Our occupational health team provides confidential, clinically led advice to help managers and HR navigate complex situations, assess fitness for work, and support employee wellbeing. Contact Insight Workplace Health to find out how we can help your organisation.