Are you truly supporting employees?

Are you truly supporting employees?

Despite 18 months during which mental health has been a top priority for HR, surveys among employees continue to point to both high levels of concerns and disappointment at the actual level of support being delivered when it’s needed. According to a survey last year by Second Sight, for example, more than half of employees were looking for more employer-led mental health support.

Is that because employers are not providing the right forms of support, or people find a reluctance among line managers to engage?

Fujitsu has recently been talking about how it’s been trying to overcome both of these issues for its 9,000 UK and Ireland employees.

Do it Your Way

Kelly Metcalf, Head of Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing at Fujitsu has pointed to four key strands to the organisation’s approach.

The first is making sure line managers are equipped with the knowledge and wellbeing tools in order to be ready and willing to help. That includes allowing time for regular one-to-ones and getting to know individual personalities in their teams.

Fujitsu has a Mental Health at Work Commitment which people at all levels are invited to sign up to, to focus attention and demonstrate commitment. As part of this, leaders and other staff share their own experiences of mental health issues in order to encourage more open conversations.

An EAP is “highly valued” and made available to all staff, their family members and dependents. Counselling is the most used service from the EAP offering. This is backed up by a group of employee volunteers who are trained Mental Health First Aiders.

Finally, Kelly Metcalf has talked about the importance of making mental health awareness a part of everyday practices. At Fujitsu there is a ‘Work Your Way’ hour. Each week employees are given one hour in their work calendars to use on any kind of activity that improves their wellbeing. Staff have used their free time to go rowing on the river nearby to the HQ, go for walks, read books and bake cakes.

Stay fresh 

“Paying attention to mental health at work has become critical. It’s also become something very ‘normal’, an expected, typical part of HR and management routines – and there’s a danger that mental wellbeing becomes a tick in the box and forgotten,” said EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell.

“HR need to help keep strategies fresh. Fujitsu’s strategy is an example of pro-active efforts, and most importantly, a willingness to get to the core of practice, the value of involving senior management in setting the tone and demonstrating their willingness to get involved with supporting people.”

Are you truly supporting employees ? Eugene Farrell