Anastasia Vinnikova, Suicide Prevention Officer, City of London Corporation
It is indisputable that workplaces have an enormous impact on our lives. Whether our journeys began while we were in education, with part time or weekend jobs around our studies, or later on as we embarked upon our careers, work is a thread that runs through the majority of our adult years. In fact, it is common for many to spend more waking hours with colleagues than with families and friends, spending time and energy cultivating those working relationships. By extension, it is also undisputable that mental health and wellbeing in workplaces is absolutely crucial.
The organisational culture we experience – that is, the behaviours, practices and norms of our workplace and the people within it – influences our behaviours outside of work too. The training and awareness provided within our working hours stays with us, and shapes not only how we interact with colleagues or clients, but also friends, family, neighbours and members of our community. The values of the institution connect us to the purpose of our work, and offer a sense of belonging amongst our colleagues.
Arguably, this is even more so the case for SMEs. So often small businesses and start ups are the result of passionate individuals with a strong connection to the organisation they set up. Nurturing the business from its creation through the challenging but rewarding milestones of growth, there is frequently a particular personal connection for founders, leaders and employees. Close-knit cultures and agility are strengths of SMEs, balancing against financial pressures, and resource constraints.
A number of years ago, British telecommunications company Three partnered with the suicide prevention charity Samaritans, to look at the wellbeing of employees within small businesses. They found that 39% of decisionmakers within SMEs stated that financial pressures were contributing to a decline in their mental health, and 22% suggested that mental health exhaustion could be their biggest challenge over the year. Last year, the Enterprise Research Centre found that small businesses have comparable, but sometimes higher rates of poor mental health than large firms. Despite this, SMEs are less likely than larger organisations to offer a wellbeing provision, or engage with wellbeing initiatives.
There are many understandable barriers, and mental health and wellbeing in the workplace can feel like a daunting, intangible concept. There are a number of actions that organisations can take, and resources to explore these are shared below, but in the meantime, consider the following six steps.
Two-way communication
While there are patterns and similarities between the landscape SMEs navigate, they are each unique and nuanced, and their approach to wellbeing should be treated as such. The best way to understand what your employees are experiencing, is by offering them opportunities to share. Consider not only survey formats, but also focus groups, wellbeing champions and feedback forms to understand what causes them stress, and what they feel would help alleviate it. Involving colleagues early on in the process of your wellbeing journey will help to empower them to engage with it further down the line too. On the other hand, consider the ways in which the organisation shares decision-making processes, and how mental health and wellbeing is considered.
Leadership engagement
The extent to which senior leaders proactively show their support and dedication to mental health has an impact on the rest of the organisation. Ensure senior colleagues are visible, and (if they feel comfortable) open about the importance of wellbeing. This can be through practical means such as including a standing item on mental health and wellbeing in senior leader updates.
Manager training
While it is important to acknowledge that managers are often stretched because they have a responsibility both for team outputs, and pastoral care, they are uniquely positioned to offer support and advice to their colleagues. Ensure that they are equipped to do so without adding significant volume to their workload by providing training. Free, online training options are provided in the ‘resources’ section below. It is important to note that mental health and inclusion ae inextricably intertwined, and support should be offered with a recognition of the different experiences of those from a variety of community groups and backgrounds.
Raising awareness
Awareness raising and education is important for decreasing the stigma around mental health which can be detrimental to help-seeking behaviour. SMEs can share external, national and international campaigns, and equally raise awareness about their own approaches to mental health and wellbeing. Examples of campaigns that are straightforward to participate in include Mental Health Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day.
External support
Tight-knit workforces can be a supportive factor, but can also increase feelings of stigma around mental health that can prevent colleagues from disclosing what they are experiencing. Ensure there is signposting to external support resources and organisations, in case colleagues wish to use services outside of the workplace. Many charities and third-sector institutions also offer free resources, guidance and helplines on mental health and wellbeing that can be a cost-effective way for SMEs to develop their approaches. You can see signposting to some of these in the section below.
Wherever you choose to start the mental health and wellbeing journey of your organisation, small actions can start a momentum of movement and empower your colleagues to get involved. Before you know it, you’ll feel the positive effects not only amongst your workforce, but also amongst your customers, clients, stakeholders and broader communities too.
Resources
Training and Workplace Specific Resources
- Free online suicide awareness training from the Zero Suicide Alliance is available here.
- Free mental health conversation training from Mind is available here.
- Mental health resources for small workplaces have been collated by Mind here.
- The Federation of Small Businesses has a dedicated page on workplace wellbeing.
- The CIPD has a free factsheet on wellbeing in the workplace.
- The Lord Mayor’s Appeal This is Me workplace mental health hub contains resources and tools to improve employee wellbeing.
Support
Please remember, mental health and wellbeing resources for those living and working in the Square Mile can be viewed on the City of London Corporation website.
Please see below a collection of third-sector organisations offering support, including for specific communities and demographics experiencing additional barriers.
| Charity | Purpose | Contact |
| The Hub of Hope | Directory where individuals can seek support within distinct criteria and parameters | Mental Health Support Network provided by Chasing the Stigma | Hub of hope |
| The Maternal Mental Health Alliance | Directory of maternity-specific mental health support | Page 1 of Current members | Maternal Mental Health Alliance |
| The Black and Asian Therapists Network | An online directory of qualified therapists experienced in working with the distinctive African, Caribbean and Asian experience. | http://www.baatn.org.uk/ |
| Shout | A free and confidential 24/7 text messaging service | Text 85258 https://giveusashout.org/ |
| Switchboard | A mental health helpline for the LGBTQ+ community | 0800 0119 100 hello@switchboard.lgbt or https://switchboard.lgbt |
| Young Minds | A helpline for parents, Monday to Friday 9.30am to 4pm | 0808 802 5544 https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-helpline/ |
| James’ Place | A male suicide prevention charity offering self-referral counselling and support | Support for men who are suicidal | James’ Place |
| Papyrus | For the prevention of suicide for people under 35: Monday to Friday 10am to 10pm, weekends 2pm to 10pm, bank holidays 2pm to 5pm | 0800 068 41 41 https://www.papyrus-uk.org/ |
| Samaritans | A 24/7 support hotline | 116 123 https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact |
| Tommy’s Midwives’ Helpline | For those who have had any type of pregnancy loss | 0800 0147 800 Baby loss information and support | Tommy’s |
| Muslim Youth Helpline | Support to Muslim youth under 25 years. Outreach services including family mediation, face to face counselling and befriending | 0808 808 2008 www.myh.org.uk |
| Jami | A mental health charity supporting the Jewish community | Jami is the mental health service for the Jewish community – Jami UK |
[1] Three Business partners with Samaritans to provide free wellbeing courses for small businesses – Three Media Centre
[2] Workplace Mental Health in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises – Enterprise Research Centre
[3] Workplace Health and Wellbeing in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs): A Mixed Methods Evaluation of Provision and Support Uptake
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