World Mental Health Day – a reminder for employers

Today marks World Mental Health Day. A reminder for reflection on how we can all promote positive mental health in the workplace. 

Work-related stress can arise from a variety of situations, such as overwhelming workloads, unclear expectations or lack of support.  Employers have a legal duty to protect workers from work-related stress. Risk assessments should help employers identify the potential risks employees may be facing and provide actions to take to protect them. 

This World Mental Health Day, the Health and Safety Executive is urging employers to go beyond raising awareness and take practical steps to prevent work-related stress. This could involve promoting open communication (see the HSE’s ‘Talking Toolkits’) and using the HSE’s Management Standards to identify causes of stress at work. 

Small actions can make a big difference. Taking time to check in with colleagues, encouraging regular breaks and being mindful of workload pressures all help to build an open and supportive culture, where people feel valued and able to thrive – both personally and professionally. 

If you have any questions relating to this article, please contact Charlotte Whitaker, Lloyd Nail or any other member in our Corporate Crime and Regulatory Investigations team for assistance.

With thanks to Tia Leader for this article.

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