Everybody has mental health. Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s a struggle. Mental health can be impacted by a number of things and with World Mental Health Day taking place on 10th October one HR company is speaking out about how work can impact M

Everybody has mental health. Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s a struggle. Mental health can be impacted by a number of things and with World Mental Health Day taking place on 10th October one HR company is speaking out about how work can impact mental health and what employers can do to help and support their teams not only when they are struggling but also in helping them to maintain good mental health.

Cream HR, who specialise in offering a range of HR consulting and support services, advises that there are a number of things employers can do to support their team’s mental health. 

Firstly, they recognise that good people management is one of the first steps in aiding people’s mental health. Having great management skills where people are at the heart of what you do can help manage and prevent stress build up which is often linked to other mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Katy Foster, Senior HR Consultant at Cream HR says: “At Cream HR we appreciate that a company’s biggest asset is its people and that is something we always encourage our clients to be mindful of. Mental health is a huge part of looking after your team. As well as good people management we believe that managers should be trained in spotting the early signs of stress and poor mental health as early intervention can help prevent issues from escalating. It is important to get the balance right in spotting the signs but not giving out advice unqualified.”

“I’d also say that managers should take time to review workloads and ensure that timescales are realistic and offering flexible working where possible can be hugely helpful to those suffering from stress, anxiety or depression.”

Other things that the team at Cream HR recommend are making sure that teams have the confidence and knowledge to signpost people to places that can help, whether that be to a charity, support organisation or their GP.

Katy continues “ One of the things that could have the biggest impact is the promotion of work-life balance. This is something we believe should be running all through the company - the people at the top should be demonstrating work-life balance in the way they work so not sending emails or calling your team out of work hours, sharing their own struggles and promoting taking steps to support their mental health. It is advisable to discourage a culture of people continually working late or coming into work when they are not well. Look at the culture of your company and ensure that people feel able to speak in confidence about how they are coping with work and life in general.”

To find out more about Cream HR visit www.creamhr.com

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Editors notes

Cream HR deliver world-class solutions to your people challenges, adding value and helping you to focus on your business. People are the most important investment in any business. It doesn't matter what you do. Even in a world where Artificial Intelligence is taking centre stage, it’s the people bit that matters most. Cream HR is all about adding value to your business through your people, whether by - • Helping you manage employee challenges through the effective application and interpretation of Employment Law, to minimise the risk to your business. • Developing structures, processes, and environments to get the best out of your people, creating fully engaged high performance teams. • Delivering bespoke training workshops and follow up, resulting in engaged, energised delegates. • Recruiting the right people for your organisation through the application of the law of crappy people and many years’ experience