Make Your Workplace Healthy: Reducing Stress at Work

There are many ways you can make your workplace healthier for your employees – and increase motivation, commitment and attendance.

By putting in place measures like these you can help all your employees to maintain good mental health, and reduce the risks of breakdown, stress, anxiety or more severe mental ill-health.

• ensuring employees have a good work/life balance
• being clear about responsibilities and expectations
• allowing employees flexibility in working hours
• encouraging social and sporting events among staff

Where do you start?

Talking about mental health tackles discrimination - click here for top tips to help your colleagues talk more openly and honestly.

There are many resources available to help you make your workplace healthier and happier.

They will show you:

• how to support an employee with experience of mental health problems
• how to talk to an employee who is distressed
• how to keep in touch during sickness absence
• what sorts of adjustments to consider when an employee is returning to wor

Follow the links below:

• Line Manager's Resource Shift 2009

• Promoting mental wellbeing through productive and healthy working conditions: guidance for employers Nice guideline 2009

• Workplace wellbeing tool from Business in the Community

• Why do employees come to work when ill? An investigation by The Work foundation 2010

• Mental Health in the Workplace – an employers guide In-depth resource from Mind

• The Health and Safety Executive can help you prevent work-related stress and comply with the law.

• The Equality and Human Rights Commission have produced ‘guidance for developing a workplace mental health policy’.

How healthy is your company’s culture?

• Mind Workplace provides consultancy and training for employers to help them manage mental health and maximise their company’s true potential.

Local support and training services

• Many organisations offer support and training to organisations at at local level which can help to challenge stigma and promote healthy workplaces. Norwich and Central Norfolk Mind for example offers a Working Well service.