Article: Mental Health at Work: Five Ways Managers Can End Stress and Improve the Quality of Working Life Monday 14 May 2018 Share Share to LinkedIn Share to Facebook Share via email From empowering employees to switching off after hours, here’s how managers can encourage good mental health at work Today is the first day of Mental Health Awareness week, and the campaign is more important than ever. Earlier this year, CMI research showed that the average manager puts in an extra 7.5 hours a week, equating to 44 more working days a year. That effectively cancels out holiday allowance. And, such demands could be having a real impact on their wellbeing, with one in 10 managers reporting taking sick leave for stress and mental health issues over the last year.” Patrick Woodman, Head of Research at CMI, says: “Happy and healthy employees are the most effective employees, so every employer should take mental health seriously. That doesn’t just mean providing gym memberships, stress management classes or fresh fruit in the office, as good as those may be. Instead, they should start by looking at the quality of line management in the organisation, because that’s what has the biggest impact on most people’s daily working lives. “A bad relationship with your boss can do enormous damage to your mental health – while the best management styles are linked to higher levels of wellbeing. So employers have to make sure that managers are professionally trained and lead people effectively. That means empowering team members to do their jobs and creating a culture that’s transparent and fair in how people are treated. Here’s Where to Start to Improve Mental Health at Work 1. Improve the Ability to Manage Change Change is unsettling and can affect mental health. It’s also inevitable: Ninety-seven per cent of managers report some degree of organisational change in the past 12 months. Managers have to be transparent and supportive, and involve employees in shaping the changes that affect them. 2. Develop Better Line Managers Bad management creates stress and can harm mental health. More open, empowering management styles are connected with lower levels of stress – as well as with higher job satisfaction and greater personal productivity. Employers have to do more to support managers’ professional development. 3. Switch Off After Hours Avoiding digital presenteeism means giving colleagues the license to switch off. Colleagues can often be their own worst enemies, and while personal choice is key, options such as restricting remote access should be considered. 4. Empower Your Employees The most powerful drivers of job satisfaction are a personal sense of achievement. Where innovative, entrepreneurial and empowering management styles are found, more than 84% of managers are satisfied with their jobs. 5. End the Taboo About Mental Health Managers have to set a tone that enables colleagues to talk openly about mental health, to admit when things are tough, and need to be supportive when people experience mental health issues. Image: Shutterstock Like this article? Why not share it. Share to LinkedIn Share to Facebook Share via email Topic: The future of work: Empowering your teams with AI The quick wins your organisation needs to maximise your talent’s potential for innovation and productivity in the age of AI. Read article Article Topic: Personal Development “The self-belief Chartered Manager status has given me is fantastic” Andrew Fox-Russell CMgr FCMI, our Chartered Manager of the Week, shares how an accreditation has enhanced his career Read article Article Topic: Monitoring your teams: why transparency is key CMI research found that a third of UK employers use tools to track employees’ activities online Read article Article Topic: Highlights – 8 October Poor performance, sneaky streamers and ill-equipped MPs. Plus, why your boardroom needs diverse thinking to be successful Read article Article Article Our extensive range of articles are designed to keep you in the loop with all the latest management and leadership best practice, research and news. Members See More CMI Members have access to thousands of online learning and CPD resources. Learn more about our membership benefits Join The Community CMI offers a variety of flexible membership solutions, tailored to your needs. Find out more and get involved in the CMI community today.