Why mental health at work matters
In July, Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough signed up the Time to Change Campaign which aims to change the way we think and act about mental health at work.
We now have a team of three champions to spearhead our action plan - staff members Anne Aldred, our Information and Signposting Officer, Debbie Drew, our Partnership Support Officer, plus Healthwatch Director Jonathan Wells, a mental health professional with over 30 years’ experience.
Together, they are taking on the role of starting up conversations about mental health in our organisation, busting myths, and making it easier for our team to seek support if they need it.
Jonathan told our staff this month that self-esteem in our jobs helps people feel good about themselves.
What’s important for your mental health at work?
- Enjoy your job
- Feel rewarded by it
- Have a role to play
- Feel you make a difference
- Have some control in your work
- Crack on and work hard
Making the workplace more supportive
At the same time, an understanding, supportive and flexible workplace and management team is vital.
“Because mental health difficulties are often invisible, it’s important that workplaces are based on mutual respect and recognise that people are not at their best all the time,” said Jonathan.
“Staff want to be able to tell their supervisor or manager that they are struggling or having a tough time of things. So creating a work environment where they feel safe to talk about things is key.
“A flexible and empathetic manager can help in different ways – such as adapting your workload, offering more flexible hours or perhaps a quieter workplace.”
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Over 1,200 organisations employing over two million people have joined the Time to Change campaign
