According to a survey from UKG, managers affect our mental health more than doctors or therapists. However, CCLA investment managers’ 2024 Corporate Mental Health Benchmark found that only 44% of organisations give their line managers training for supporting their people’s mental health.
In this article, we discuss the importance of managers in establishing a wellbeing culture. We also offer practical recommendations for organisations to support managers, and for managers to look after employee wellbeing.
What is the impact of managers on employee wellbeing?
The CIPD’s most recent Good Work Index found that employees with a poor relationship with their manager were over three times more likely to consider quitting their job in the coming year compared to those who reported a very good relationship with their line manager.
Managers are likely to have oversight of how an employee is affected by the Health and Safety Executive Management Standards which cover:
- Demands: e.g. workload, patterns and environment
- Control: i.e. how much say the person has in the way they do their work
- Support: e.g. encouragement, sponsorship and resources
- Relationships: including promoting positive working and dealing with unacceptable behaviour
- Role: i.e. understanding of the role and lack of conflicting roles
- Change: i.e. how organisational change is managed and communicated
In addition, Managers are often the first point of contact for employees experiencing mental health challenges as well as being in a key position to spot if an employee is neglecting their wellbeing.
How can the organisation help managers to prioritise employee wellbeing?
1. Create a framework for your managers to follow
Having the right organisational policies, processes and support in place can go a long way towards helping your managers prioritise wellbeing.
Examples of policies and processes include:
- a written mental health policy and strategy
- one-to-one meeting agendas
- performance management reviews which cover wellbeing
- workload reviews
- absence and return-to-work policies which recognise mental health issues
- mandatory mental health training
Examples of support includes:
- establishing MHFAiders
- offering flexible working arrangements
- providing an Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
These don’t just contribute to a happier workforce, they set out a clear pathway for managers to follow for prioritising employee wellbeing and helping employees manage their mental health proactively.
2. Make sure that senior leadership are leading by example
Managers might want to prioritise wellbeing, but they cannot do it if Senior leadership don’t set the right tone around mental health. Leaders need to promote mental health by:
- Talking about the subject publicly (CCLA’s research found that 68% of CEOs don’t)
- Living up to the standards themselves (e.g. not sending emails outside of work hours)
- Respecting employee boundaries (e.g. not contacting staff who are off with stress)
A disconnect between leadership behaviour and wellbeing strategies will always undermine progress when it comes to establishing a wellbeing culture.
3. Provide mental health and wellbeing training for managers
Managers can only spot and deal with mental health issues if they’re equipped with the right skills. Proper training will boost their confidence, allowing them to start sometimes difficult conversations that can reveal underlying problems that may be contributing to poor employee wellbeing. This can go a long way towards preventing serious issues before they occur.
Appropriate training also means that managers will be able to look after their own wellbeing, as managers can themselves be at a high risk of burnout during busy times.
4. Give managers the space to manage effectively
People management takes time, so while good managers will make sure that team members aren’t overloaded with work it’s equally important that managers themselves aren’t swamped with tasks and responsibilities. That’s not only bad for managers' wellbeing, managers with less time will also have less capacity to support their team.
What can managers do to look after their employees’ wellbeing?
1. Normalise talking about mental health and wellbeing issues
When managers acknowledge that certain busy periods, or certain projects, are stressful it helps to normalise the discussion about stress and mental health. Even speaking about stressful events in their personal life, like losing a pet or moving house, can help to make employees more comfortable when discussing their own issues.
2. Make sure that wellbeing is addressed in one-to-one meetings
It’s important that managers meet regularly with their team members on a one-to-one basis. These meetings will naturally discuss workload, but they’re also the place to discuss any other issues that might be affecting overall performance and wellbeing.
This is especially important for remote or hybrid teams, where the distance can make it harder to pick up concerns from casual conversation.
3. Look out for any changes in employee behaviour
Changes to an employee’s behaviour can reveal underlying issues relating to mental health and wellbeing.
Examples of behaviour changes include:
- missed deadlines/forgetfulness
- increased accidents
- meeting avoidance/disengagement
- complaints about support/workload
- overworking
- irritability, aggression, tearfulness
- withdrawal or unusual loudness
- difficulty concentrating, indecisiveness
- constant tiredness
- signs of substance misuse
4. Let your team know about the support resources available
Even if employees are not outwardly showing signs of poor mental wellbeing, it can pay dividends to regularly make sure that every team member knows where appropriate resources are for support.
This might include:
- letting them know who the MHFAiders® are
- giving them information about Wellbeing benefits such as the Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) or wellbeing hours
- pointing them to charity support such as Mind, or support apps such as Calm and Headspace
- encouraging them to attend resilience and stress management training.
It’s a good idea to gather all available resources on an Intranet page, so that staff have one go-to place and Managers have somewhere to signpost them to.
How Altruist Can Help
Altruist Enterprises has helped more than 500 organisations manage mental health more effectively through both training and strategic consultancy.
We offer a comprehensive, one-day Mental Health Training for Managers course designed to equip managers with the knowledge and skills to effectively support their team's mental wellbeing.
If you want to discuss any other aspects of mental wellbeing, including strategy, you can send us a message, call us on 0121 271 0550 or email us info@altruistuk.com.