HSE Launches Working Minds Mental Health Campaign

Working Minds Campaign

Poor mental health is the number one reason cited for absence from work in the UK and it’s on the rise. In 2020 more than 17 million working days were lost as a result of stress, anxiety, or depression. We cannot and should not ignore the role the global Coronavirus pandemic has had on our collective mental health. A recent survey by the charity Mind suggests that two in five employees’ mental health had worsened during the pandemic. Good mental health at work however is not a ‘nice to have’; employers are required by law to promote, support and sustain good mental health in the workplace. Preventing work-related stress is not just important for individuals, businesses and organisations, it’s a legal requirement. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a campaign entitled Working Minds working minds to help businesses recognise the signs of work-related stress and make tackling issues routine. HSE is calling for a culture change across Britain’s workplaces, to ensure psychological risks are treated the same as physical ones in health and safety risk management. Employers also have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled staff – this includes staff whose mental health has a substantial adverse effect on their daily lives and has lasted or is expected to last more than 12 months. First Aid for All is supporting the campaign as a Working Minds Champion. Chris Dunkerley, Director of First Aid for All said “Our mental health in the workplace training courses enable staff to recognise and deal with mental health issues in the workplace. We regularly talk about good mental health across our social media channels and it’s quite worrying how many negative comments are received about the subject. It really shows how little some people understand the issues. We welcome and support the Working Minds campaign, and are proud to be champions.” First Aid for All provides mental health training for all sizes and types of businesses, both in person and via online mental health remote video training sessions. We will continue to monitor and adhere to guidance from the UK Government on safely delivering in house face-to-face training.