Why now is the time to invest in mental health training for managers

You may be planning on investing a great deal of thought and finances into your employees’ safe, physical, return to the workplace – but how much will you be investing in their mental health?

Reports show that poor mental health will impact 1 in 4 people during their lifetime and, in 2018, 15.4 million working days in Great Britain were lost due to workplace stress, depression or anxiety. These figures are surely set to rise as many people who have never suffered in the past have reported problems with their mental health during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Workplace stress doesn’t just mean days lost in the office, or onsite, it can also have an adverse effect on creativity, innovation and other employees; with a cost per employee estimated at £2,500 (pre Covid-19 Deloittes estimated that the impact of mental health was costing businesses upwards of £45billion).

For many the familiar office landscape has changed to accommodate social distancing measures, not all colleagues or clients will be returning, some staff may have enjoyed their time spent at home without commuting, others may have struggled with the change of pace brought about by furlough.

Suffolk based Three Eggs mental health training providers are using their experience and resources to help businesses put a structure in place for those returning to work after the pandemic.

“There will inevitably be feelings of insecurity and nerves for returning staff” comments Director George Bradley,”very few will return to work unaffected and the ‘new normal’ is an opportune time to incorporate mental health care and training into your workplace”

Everything that Three Eggs does is about helping to create a positive workplace mental culture; From an initial meeting to establish the existing culture to suggesting techniques that will raise the profile of mental health within the workplace, and training employees to be mental health first aiders and champions of ongoing cultural development.

“Three Eggs can achieve results in a relatively short space of time, giving you a significant return on your investment in terms of employee wellbeing, productivity and retention”, George continues, “mental health is the whole organisation’s responsibility – but an effective, well-educated and engaged leadership team will set the bar for your business’s overall performance. By encouraging positive support, that starts with senior members of staff, it demonstrates that mental health awareness is being taken seriously and gives people the confidence to talk openly.”

“The most senior members of a team have the most costly impact on an organisation if they suffer poor mental health. Equipping them with the skills to manage their mental health offers the greatest ROI”.

Whilst screens, hand-sanitizer and revised office layouts can address the visible elements of the post-covid return, it is essential that businesses invest with as much conviction in effective workplace mental health strategies.

Three Eggs further commentary on ‘Return to work anxiety’ can be found here.