This can be as simple as an employee talking to a manager about practical ways to support their well-being. Andrew Berrie, Mind’s head of workplace well-being, said: “It might be go for a walk in the park, it might be picking the kids up from school. It’s having a conversation with your manager about how to facilitate that.” Deloitte has formalized this idea through its “ways of working framework,” which offers a template of prompts to help colleagues communicate their well-being needs.
Managers’ roles in overcoming this are vital. A report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development this month said there were clear links between line manager quality and employee mental health. In part, this comes from “getting to know an individual and ongoing conversations,” said Rachel Suff, senior policy adviser at CIPD. “I have a weekly catch-up with my manager and the environment feels safe. It’s natural for him to ask me how I am, and that question to be meaningful.
One pitfall, said Berrie, is making assumptions. Some managers might have had a previous employee who suffered mental ill health, but comparisons are often unhelpful. “Something we heard reported during the pandemic was people being asked, ‘ everyone else is in the same boat and they’re doing the fine, why can’t you?'”Article content