… I’m embarrassed.
… I don’t want to seem weak.
… I just need to ‘man up’.
… My team will lose faith in me.
According to recent statistics, 46% of men would be embarrassed or ashamed to tell their employer if they needed time off because of their mental health.
November is Men’s Mental Health Month. So, for this blog, we wanted to offer guidance for workplaces on how to support men’s mental health specifically.
Unfortunately, there is a huge stigma around men seeking help for their mental health. Traditional expectations of society have placed emphasis on men being stoic and self-reliant. This is incredibly damaging as it’s a barrier to acknowledging mental health challenges. Lots of men are afraid of judgement and worry that being honest might affect how people perceive them. In the workplace specifically, they fear how it may affect their careers, as they don’t want to appear weak or vulnerable.
Due to these challenges, it’s essential that men feel encouraged to speak up. Suicide remains the biggest killer for men under the age of 50, and not feeling able to talk about feelings is thought to be one of the main reasons. Vulnerability is not often associated with traditional masculinity. But the reality is … it takes courage to admit you need help.
In the Workplace
32% of men say that work is the biggest cause of their mental health issues. ‘Work’ can cover a lot of things – working long hours, too few staff, urgent deadlines, difficult clients, difficult boss, too many responsibilities, the list goes on. Certainly, a toxic environment can have severe detrimental effects on a person’s health. For guidance on creating a positive workplace, check out our blog on how to prevent a toxic workplace culture polluting your team. Creating a supportive workplace which encourages openness is essential for men’s well-being and company success.
If members of your team are experiencing poor mental health, this will most likely affect your team dynamics, create retention challenges and could negatively impact productivity – even if we aren’t aware of the challenges any employee is facing .
How to Support Your Staff
Common indicators that someone is struggling with their mental health:
- Appears worried or highly strung
- Is withdrawn
- Has increased sickness or absences
- Is frequently late
- Starts behaving differently towards colleagues
- Their standard of work drops
- Not enjoying certain tasks as much
- Not focused
- More irritable
- Angry
Remember that everyone is different, signs and signals won’t all be the same. Generally it is often advisable to look out for changes to how someone usually is, as these are good indicators they are experiencing a period of poorer mental health.
It can be extra hard to spot some of these signs if a team member is working from home. This means that a culture of open communication is EVEN MORE important.
Duty of Care
Employers have a duty of care for their employees’ mental health, the same as we do for a physical illness. We must do all we reasonably can to support our team’s mental health. This includes creating a safe environment, carrying out risk assessments, and protecting staff from discrimination.
By law, mental health is considered a disability if it has significant long-term effects on a person’s ability to do normal day-to-day activities. Stress itself is not classed as a medical condition, but it can still be serious and lead to further mental and physical health issues.
Communication – A Problem Shared is a Problem Halved!
Good communication is essential for supporting your team with their mental health challenges. However, getting the male members of your team to ‘open up’ can be trickier. Traditionally, men feel that they shouldn’t discuss their problems with others in case it makes them seem weak or incapable and think that their role is to remain strong.
Encouraging communication therefore takes time. It’s important to create a culture of openness where everyone feels safe. The management team, especially male members of the team, should discuss mental health openly to help other male staff feel comfortable doing so.
Our top tips on helping staff to feel comfortable opening up:
- Be calm, patient and reassuring
- Approach conversations in a positive and supportive way
- Be open-minded and offer no judgement
- Listen and ask open questions
- Remember that factors outside of work may be affecting the person
- Be clear about confidentiality, don’t share anything with others (unless essential)
- Know what you can do to offer (or how to signpost) support if it is needed or requested
- Have a clear understanding of boundaries
Training and Services
Supporting your team’s mental health is challenging, that’s why managers need to receive suitable training and tools to help them recognise concerns and learn how to respond.
It can also be really helpful to run education initiatives for the whole team, not just management. You could tailor some workshops, seminars or training sessions towards the men in your teams who might need more – or different encouragement – to speak up.
Also focus on education and initiatives that help with prevention – general health and well-being, resilience, dealing with stressful situations and suchlike can be really helpful.
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) offer support to employees in the form of short-term counselling, referrals and professional advice. EAPs are a private way for your employees to seek the help they may need. If you have an EAP for your team, make sure that everyone knows about it and that instructions on how to access it are clear. Partnerships that specialise in men’s mental health would be great to help form an EAP.
Policy
It is essential that you implement mental health policies because they demonstrate genuine commitment. A policy should include procedures for addressing issues, accommodations for those experiencing problems and guidelines to managers.
Promoting a good work-life balance is also important – it may not form part of your policies, but employees shouldn’t feel they have to check emails at all hours and be available 24/7. Being able to switch off and have some downtime is vital for everyone. This may even become law within the next few years as it already is for some of our European neighbours.
Mental Health Champions and First Aiders
Rather than it just being managers receiving the relevant training to support their teams, Mental Health Champions and First Aiders have become popular in recent years. Peer networks are instrumental in helping encourage team members to speak out. If people see their colleagues doing it, it won’t seem so scary.
A Mental Health First Aider can help to promote awareness, and is trained to deal with emergencies. Remember that the Mental Health First Aiders themselves may need support and somewhere safe and confidential to download if they are dealing with any tricky situations.
Conclusion
Supporting men’s mental health in the workplace is essential as a good employer, not only for individual well-being, but also for creating a resilient, productive team. By fostering an environment where openness is encouraged and asking for help is seen as a strength, workplaces can break down the barriers that often prevent men from seeking support. Through comprehensive policies, mental health training, and peer support systems like Mental Health Champions, employers can build a culture that truly supports mental well-being. Taking these steps is a commitment to both individual health and organisational success, helping everyone bring their best selves to work.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can call the NHS Mental Health Crisis Support on 111, or Samaritans on 116 123.
Resources
There are a range of NHS Services which can be accessed when someone is in need of support.
Andy’s Man Club is a charity which offers free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the country and online.
Man Up is a men’s mental health charity who offer educational webinars on a range of men’s mental health topics. Their goal is to challenge the term ‘man up’.
At vivoHR we can support you as you support your team. Contact us on 01252 757359 or drop us an email at [email protected].