When your employer signs the Time to Change Employer Pledge they demonstrate a commitment to change how we think and act about mental health in the workplace and make sure that employees who are facing these problems feel supported. Read more about the Employer Pledge and how to sign up.
1. Arrange a meeting
If you are able to, we would recommend trying to book in a meeting with a key decision-maker (potentially someone in HR) to discuss bringing Time to Change to your workplace. Use our employer pledge explainer and ready-made PowerPoint presentation to help you plan and conduct the meeting.
2. Have statistics on hand
Here are our top five statistics for you to persuade your organisation to take mental health seriously:
- Almost one in three people have experienced mental health problems while in employment
- Mental ill-health is the leading cause of sickness absence in the UK, costing an average of £1,035 per employee per year
- 95% of employees calling in sick with stress gave a different reason
- FTSE 100 companies that prioritise employee engagement and wellbeing outperform the rest of the FTSE 100 by an average of 10%
- 48% said they would not talk to their employer about their mental health
3. Have some ideas for potential activities
There are lots of different things you can do to tackle stigma, and it will be easier to persuade your employer if you have some concrete ideas on what to do. For example, you could run events for key dates such as Time to Talk Day and World Mental Health Day, provide information about mental health, or share personal experiences of mental health problems through blogs on the intranet. Check out our page on making an impact in your workplace for more ideas.