In the first part of our exclusive interview with Sarah McIntosh, chief executive of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, we explored the growing mental health challenges facing UK employees and how organisations can develop psychologically safe workplaces. As workforce mental health continues to be a pressing issue, employers are being urged to go beyond awareness and implement tangible strategies that support employees’ wellbeing and productivity.
In this second part of our discussion, McIntosh shares practical approaches that businesses can take to help employees stay in or return to work following mental health struggles. She highlights the importance of wellness action plans, effective management training and supportive workplace policies, while also addressing the impact of government reforms on workplace inclusion.
With workplace dynamics evolving, experts say organisations must be proactive in adapting to emerging mental health trends. From supporting employees through major life events to preparing for the introduction of workplace suicide prevention standards, McIntosh outlines what businesses need to do now to create healthier, more resilient workforces.
With mental health issues contributing to workforce inactivity, what strategies can employers implement to support affected employees and encourage their return to work?
Where I’ve seen this done well, it’s because organisations and their managers have put wellness action plans in place for every employee. A wellness action plan is a practical, personalised tool that helps individuals manage their health and wellbeing at work. We have developed a free version for workplaces to use. The My Whole Self: My plan for working well is designed to support employees in identifying what keeps them well, what might cause stress or poor mental health and what support they need from their employer or colleagues.
It can help people feel more comfortable sharing when they’re struggling and empowers managers to recognise signs that a team member might need support. Together, a staff member and their manager can determine whether taking time out is the best approach or if time off might be counterproductive. In some cases, adjusting workload, work type or working arrangements may be a more effective way to provide support.
If a person goes off sick, a wellness action plan can help to agree what contact and return to work communications should look like – how, how often and when. This means that absent employees are not lost to the employer and don’t feel isolated.
The key to all of this is how confident, knowledgeable and supportive a manager and/or
HR contact is. This can make or break a person’s experience of absence and return to work. Done badly, people may leave rather than coming back to work. Effective training is needed for managers and HR teams focusing on mental health. Alongside this, supportive policies and processes need to be in place.
Managers also need to have time to support the individual properly. That can be a challenge for many managers who can feel like it’s extra work rather than part of their role.
How should organisations assess the effectiveness of their mental health initiatives in enhancing employee wellbeing and productivity?
Nothing will ever be better than senior leaders, HR team and managers going and talking to employees and asking people about how they can improve support for mental health and wellbeing. Hearing the lived experience and stories at work – the good and the bad – is the most powerful way to know how you are doing and what you need to improve. Some of the best employers co-design policies, processes and programmes with their people to make them effective and successful.
Don’t shy away from hearing brutal truths about poor experiences. Look at exit interviews, grievance and disciplinary data; talk to HR case managers, chairs of employee networks and trade union reps about how effective they feel the approaches are. Staff surveys, sick day data and interactions with MHFAiders – with confidentiality protected – can also be a good way to gather insights to help inform your whole organisation strategy.
The UK government has announced major changes to disability benefits, aiming at encouraging more people into work. What impact do you foresee these reforms having on workplace mental health and inclusion?
At MHFA England, we welcome the shake-up of the assessment process, which is currently too binary – either fit to work or not fit to work. The proposed reforms simplify eligibility for financial support, which is a positive change. However, mental health is complex, and people who are considered fit for work – or partially fit for work – will have a wide array of diverse needs.
A personalised approach is needed that looks at the whole person, taking into account mental and physical health conditions as well as life circumstances that are intertwined with their wellbeing. There is a risk that if people are rushed into employment without proper support or a suitable environment, the long-term consequences could be severe. Many employers still lack awareness of employee mental health, how to make reasonable adjustments or access support services such as Access to Work.
MHFA England is urging the government to ensure that the transition towards work-based support is accompanied by policies that promote employer readiness and individualised mental health accommodations. A truly effective welfare system must provide not only financial support but also practical assistance to help individuals with mental health conditions succeed in employment.
I’ve been working closely with Sir Charlie Mayfield and other mental health leaders on the Get Britain Working review. We will continue to support it, and its call for evidence, through our clients, 65,000-plus members and community.
Nothing will ever be better than senior leaders, HR team and managers going and talking to employees and asking people about how they can improve support for mental health and wellbeing.
What responsibilities do leaders and managers have in promoting mental health, and how can they model behaviours that support a psychologically safe workplace?
As we’ve said, teams are at their most effective and creative when employees feel psychologically safe and when everyone feels seen, heard and valued. The role and importance of good managers and leaders in creating cultures that support wellbeing and performance cannot be underestimated. Excellent managers build inclusive teams where people can thrive. They create the golden thread between an individual’s objectives, the team plan and the business mission.
To enable brilliant leaders and managers, people need to be given the training, time and tools to do the job of managing well. Research shows that managers have as much impact on a person’s mental health as their partner, so compassionate leadership from managers who are confident about having conversations about mental health and performance are vital in shaping a team and a business.
To help with this MHFA England has developed a range of free tools to support managers including the My Whole Self Manager’s Toolkit, which brings together best practice and gives managers ideas and tools to support wellbeing and productivity. Alongside this, our range of bespoke training for managers, such as the Supporting Team Mental Health and Performance course, responds to the growing challenges managers face in balancing employee wellbeing with performance expectations.
What emerging trends do you foresee in workplace mental health, and how should organisations prepare to address them?
Supporting people through significant life events that affect them, or their family will be key in the coming year.
We are much better at being parent friendly workplaces than we ever were before, although some of this risks being damaged by the return to work mandates. We still have a long way to go to support sandwich carers, cancer, dementia, addiction, bereavement, suicide, miscarriage, menopause, fertility treatment, neurodiversity, gender transitioning – the list goes on. All these things have a huge impact on people’s mental health. We will all experience different life events which require understanding, empathy, flexibility and tailored support from managers and employers to help our wellbeing, productivity and to stay in work.
Many businesses wait until they have an employee come forward with a request for support but the best employers take a people-first approach and have scenarios planned for these events. They will have proactive and accessible resources and guidance on how they will and can support people.
Alongside this is the growing focus on suicide prevention and the critical role employers play in prevention, intervention, and ongoing support. The British Safety Institution (BSI) is developing standards for workplace suicide prevention. It’s set to open for consultation in the coming weeks, with the official standards launching in the autumn. Organisations must start preparing now.
Employers should proactively engage with MHFAiders, HR teams and managers to gather insights, identify existing challenges and begin developing guidance, processes and support systems. By taking early action, organisations can create a workplace culture that prioritises mental health, ensures employees feel supported and aligns with best practice.
It’s crucial that employers prioritise mental health as a core part of their business strategy, not an optional extra … EDI is vital to employee mental health and wellbeing.
What key message would you like to convey to employers about prioritising mental health during this transitional period that’s seeing a shift in workplace dynamics?
It’s crucial that employers prioritise mental health as a core part of their business strategy, not an optional extra. Now is the time to strengthen, not scale back, investment in mental health and inclusion strategies, policies and training to support employees effectively.
A comprehensive approach should include:
- A clear mental health and wellbeing strategy and policies embedded into organisational culture.
- Training and awareness for HR, managers and staff to build confidence in supporting mental health at work
- Mental Health First Aiders to provide peer support and early intervention.
Our workplace consultancy, including the Startwell framework, works alongside employers to find the most effective way forward for their organisation’s unique needs. We support and guide organisations on their journey towards a healthier and more productive workplace, whatever their size or sector.
At the same time, it’s essential that businesses do not roll back on EDI efforts. These are vital to employee mental health and wellbeing. Creating inclusive workplaces where all employees feel safe, valued and supported is not just a moral obligation; it’s a business imperative.
The Keep Britain Working report highlights the urgent need for a proactive and preventative approach to mental health in the workplace. By acting now, employers can build resilient, high-performing teams and ensure their organisation is ready for the future of work.