Benefits of having a Mental Health Policy
It communicates the message that mental health is considered as important as physical health
First and foremost even having a mental health policy in place is a good start! It is quite shocking how few hospitality businesses have one, but it is not too late to change that. It indicates to your staff that your business considers mental health to be a priority and has put some measures in place to support them. Just as we follow guidelines to look after our physical health through Health and Safety policies, Risk Assessments and having trained First Aiders, we need to have these measures in place for our mental health.
So often mental health is seen as a secondary concern to our physical health in our industry and we are losing good talent because of it. If we let employees and future employees know that their mental health is just as important as their physical health, they will feel more encouraged to seek support before issues escalate and therefore less likely to burn out.
Encourages employees to be open about their mental health
While some people may be well-versed in the world of mental health, others still find it incredibly crippling to talk about their own or to approach the subject with others. 76% of employees are embarrassed to talk about mental health at work, 82% are concerned it could impact career prospects, and over half of employees say a lack of encouragement from senior management to discuss mental health is a barrier.
Having a policy normalises the conversation, especially if this becomes part of all induction training and is regularly reviewed and reinstated by employers. Sophia Brown, Head of Operations at Pophams has implemented a great traffic light system into their Mental Health Policy, which allows employees to communicate about the status of their mental health on any given day without having to be explicit about what they are going through. It has worked really well for them and has meant that staff have been able to warn them if their mental health is deteriorating and they need to put some measures in place to improve it again.
Helps to attract and retain staff
At a time when hospitality businesses are struggling to recruit, it couldn’t be more essential to have a Mental Health Policy in place and to let people know about it! After the year we’ve had many people have experienced changes in their mental health, as well as shifts in attitudes to being more concerned about the ethics and ethos of workplaces. For some the reassurance of just knowing there is one in place can make them feel confident they will be supported at work if needed.
Within existing teams, having a policy can help solidify teams and improve collaboration as employees have this common point of reference that they can use to talk about their mental health. Managers can feel more confident to deal with issues around mental health if there is a procedure in place, and employees can feel assured that there will be support. This will inevitably lead to better morale and create a better working environment, therefore staff are more likely to stay.
What does a Mental Health Policy look like?
This will vary depending on the size of your organisation and the way you operate, but it needs to be adaptable and regularly reviewed. A few things to consider in your policy:
Communication
Regular check-ins
Regular team meetings
Trained Mental Health First Aiders
Most importantly it needs to be concise, easy to follow, and accessible by all employees. It needs to be included as part of on-boarding and any changes need to be clearly communicated with your whole team
If you would like help in creating a bespoke Mental Health Policy for your workplace, please get in touch with us at hello@kellyscause.com
