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Many organisations guilty of ‘mental health washing’, survey finds

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Summary

A survey conducted by payroll and finance software provider MHR found that many companies may be guilty of ‘mental health washing’, where businesses promote the importance of mental health but do not have policies to match this. Eight in 10 (79 per cent) UK employees do not believe their employer when they discuss or promote their wellbeing initiatives. Sharon Bligh, director of health and sustainability, The Consumer Goods Forum, commented that businesses should address “the basics” like workload and working hours to ensure their mental wellbeing support is not “tokenistic”. Sarah Baldry, VP of people and marketing at employee mental health tech provider Wysa, said organisations should take the temperature of employees' mental health before and after investments in order to identify the true level of risk within the workforce. Dr Rodrigo Rodriguez-Fernandez, global health adviser for wellness and mental health at International SOS, said overlooking mental health issues in the workplace has a significant emotional and financial cost that businesses “cannot afford to sideline”.

Q&As

What are the findings of a survey conducted by MHR on mental health in the workplace?
The survey of 1,000 UK adults found that eight in 10 (79 per cent) UK employees do not believe their employer when they discuss or promote their wellbeing initiatives.

What are the potential consequences of overlooking mental health issues in the workplace?
The repercussions of overlooking mental health issues in the workplace can have a significant emotional and financial cost that businesses “cannot afford to sideline”, including absenteeism, productivity and staff turnover.

What are the “basics” of a good wellbeing policy?
The basics of a good wellbeing policy should address workload and working hours.

How can HR professionals create a culture that cherishes mental health?
HR professionals should advocate for a well-rounded framework that provides employees with better access to wellbeing support, creates a work culture that cherishes mental health and carries out regular assessments on wellbeing programmes implemented.

What advice do experts offer to businesses in terms of addressing mental health issues in the workplace?
Experts advise businesses to take a preventative approach to mental health and wellbeing, focusing on long-term strategies instead of one-off activities that may not be taken up by employees in future, and to view their workforce’s mental health as “entirely relevant” to them. They should also ensure that their mental wellbeing support tackles root issues and is not “tokenistic”, and take the temperature of employees' mental health before and after investments and share that data at board level.

AI Comments

👍 This article brings attention to the importance of mental health initiatives in the workplace and the need for companies to focus on long-term strategies rather than one-off activities. It is encouraging that CEOs are taking steps to reward staff who return to the office and that HR professionals are advocating for a well-rounded framework to provide employees with better access to wellbeing support.

👎 Despite the importance of mental health initiatives in the workplace, many organisations are guilty of 'mental health washing', where businesses promote the importance of mental health but do not have policies to match this. Furthermore, eight in 10 UK employees do not believe their employer when they promote their wellbeing initiatives. This is concerning and highlights the need for more effective policies to be implemented.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about mental health washing, which is when companies promote mental health initiatives but don't have actual policies in place to back them up. The survey found that 8 in 10 UK employees don't believe their employers when they promote their wellbeing initiatives.

Friend: That's really concerning. It seems like companies are prioritising looking good over actually taking action.

Me: Exactly. It's a really concerning trend, and it's important that companies make sure that their mental health initiatives are backed up with actual policies that are implemented. Otherwise, employees won't have any meaningful support. It's also important that companies take a preventative approach to mental health, rather than just offering tokenistic initiatives.

Action items

Research and implement a comprehensive mental health policy that addresses root issues and is not tokenistic.
Advocate for a well-rounded framework that provides employees with better access to wellbeing support and creates a work culture that cherishes mental health.
Take a preventative approach to mental health and wellbeing, focusing on long-term strategies instead of one-off activities.

Technical terms

Mental Health Washing: A term used to describe when businesses promote the importance of mental health but do not have policies to match this.
FTSE 100: A stock market index of the 100 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange with the highest market capitalisation.
World Mental Health Day: An annual event on 10 October to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilise efforts in support of mental health.
Cost of Living Crisis: A situation in which the cost of living is too high for people to afford basic necessities.
Tokenistic: A term used to describe when a company does something to appear to be doing something, but without any real effort or commitment.
C-Suite: A term used to refer to the most senior executives in a company, typically the CEO, CFO, and COO.
Polygraph: A machine used to measure and record physiological responses to questions asked by an examiner.
Civil Service Diversity Roles: Positions within the civil service that are dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion.