Organisations, schools and employers

Right now 1 in 6 workers is dealing with a mental health problem such as anxiety, depression or stress. This can stop people performing at their best.

Smart employers know that organisations are only as strong as their people – they depend on having a healthy and productive workforce. They also know that people perform better when they feel able to put everything into their job and when they are confident, motivated and completely focused on doing that.

Good mental health underpins this. By positively managing and supporting employees’ mental wellbeing, employers can ensure that staff perform to their potential – and this allows the business to achieve peak performance.

If employees feel they can talk openly about mental health in the workplace, problems are less likely to build up. This could lead to less time off for poor mental health and improved morale at work.

As an employer, it is important that you are seen to treat mental and physical health as equally important. You should aim to create an environment where your employees feel able to talk openly about mental health.

For example, you could:

• make sure employees have regular meetings with their managers, to talk about any problems they're having
• encourage positive mental health, for example arranging mental health awareness training and workshops, or appointing mental health 'champions' who staff can talk to

Visit the ACAS website for more information about promoting positive mental health at work, including:

• understanding mental health
• creating a mental health strategy
• educating the workforce

Resources from MIND

• Managers guide to mental health
• Supporting staff with mental health problems (PDF)
• Intro to mentally healthy workplaces (PDF)
• Tackling the causes of mental health problems (PDF)

Other employer resources

• The cost of doing business (Salford City Council)
• Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
• GM Good Employment Charter – health and wellbeing
• Join the Business Growth Community
• Wellbeing Charter - Health at Work
• Mindful Employer
• Mental health training (Mind)
• Learn to Save a Life (Shining a Light on Suicide)
• Greater Manchester Resilience Hub - health and care staff wellbeing service :: Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
• Mental health at work (Mind)

Schools

• Building suicide-safer schools and colleges: A guide for teachers and staff (PAPYRUS)
• Thrive in Education
• Emotionally Friendly Schools