Happiness in the workplace is, and should remain, a fundamental pursuit of any business. Beyond the understanding that employees who describe themselves as happy are more productive, creative, and loyal, it is also a moral and legal obligation associated with duty of care. This means that all businesses must reasonably pursue the positive support of employee mental health alongside their established obligations to protect physical health.

While this may sound reasonable on paper, there remains a great deal of evidence that suggests a number of workplaces across the UK fall short of creating a positive environment for employees, with over 1 in 6 employees experiencing mental health issues at work. Such issues lead to absences and sick days, with mental health issues estimated to prompt over 12% of all absences, and many more being disguised as physical ailments. 

It may seem unreasonable to need to disguise one’s mental ill-health as a physical affliction. However, there remains a pervasive stigma surrounding mental health, especially in the workplace, and around half of all sick days taken for mental health reasons are believed to be reported as physical ailments. This context is why, in September, the International Week Of Happiness At Work will once again take place. 

The annual initiative, founded by the Dutch team behind Happy Office, seeks to promote happiness at work believing it is the best possible pursuit for all parties. The event takes place both on- and offline, hosting a number of speakers and initiatives in the pursuit of better mental wellbeing within the workplace.

Among the mental health struggles that face workplaces, there are a number of important details. Women in full-time employment are, for example, nearly twice as likely to experience a mental health issue than their male counterparts. Over half of employees interviewed for the CIPD good work index, who also experienced depression over the past twelve months, stated that their workplace was a contributing factor (only a third discussed this experience with their employer). Over a quarter of all employees note that they struggle to relax in their personal time because of work-related issues.

From the employer’s perspective, workplace mental health issues manifest in multiple ways:

• Absenteeism, employees taking time away from work due to ill-health
• Presenteeism, employees attending work despite illness and performing poorly
• Burnout, the manifestation of mental ill-health and chronic workplace stress, leading to poor proficiency, exhaustion, and negative feelings toward the employer

One of the most significant ways an employer can reduce these issues is by first tackling the stigma surrounding mental health so as to abolish the associated embarrassment and encourage employees to feel more comfortable discussing their concerns and feelings. This can prompt a number of small changes, such as adjustments to break times or redesign of a workspace, that can improve employee morale, with employees being more validated to give feedback and express themselves.

Employers can also seek workplace counselling options, which can offer employees access to high-quality mental health services. Such services improve workplace morale and dramatically reduce examples of absenteeism, presenteeism, and burnout, while also promoting a positive workplace environment that benefits the loyalty and wellbeing of employees.

If are looking for workplace counselling in Bristol and would like to learn more about how such services can benefit and improve your business, please reach out to a member of our team via email, at hello@bristolcounsellingandpsychotherapy.co.uk, or by calling 07751 271709.