MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING AT WORK
Does your organisation have a culture of mental wellbeing to support your employees?
Between 2010 and 2020, the number of days of incapacity to work due to psychological diagnoses rose by 70% becoming the second most frequent cause in Germany after musculoskeletal disorders.* An increased awareness of how the workplace can contribute to mental ill-health has turned Mental Health and Wellbeing Programmes from a nice-to-have to a true business need.
Despite understanding the demand for and the necessity of these programmes, it is hard to know where to start.
- Do you know where to start the journey to establish a Mental Health programme?
- Do you know how your (Mental) Health Management programme ranks in comparison to international standards and benchmark?
- Is your Mental Health & Wellbeing programme evidence-based and provides measurable results?
- Do you know how to address international challenges related to Mental Health (e.g. cultural influences, stigma)?
- Do you have an assessment in place to identify risks and problems at an early stage?
- Is your management equipped with the skills, knowledge and abilities to be able to support their employees? Do they possibly struggle mentally themselves?
- Do you have specific challenges where you require an independent and evidence-based expert consultation?
These were just some of the topics, our clients have discussed with Dr Rachel Lewis PhD, MSc, CPsychol who has delivered multiple consulting practices in the field of Mental Health and Wellbeing at Work together with International SOS.
Dr Rachel Lewis PhD, MSc, CPsychol
Dr Rachel Lewis is a multi-award winning UK registered occupational psychologist. She is working across academia as a Reader at Birkbeck, University of London and practice as a consultant for international organisations. Rachel has nearly 20 years experience across the field of occupational psychology, specialising in the area of mental health, wellbeing and psychosocial risk in organisations.
In recognition of her expertise in this area, Rachel Lewis consults and advises globally, has authored more than 175 papers research reports and evidence based guides. In 2023 she was recognised as one of the leading thinkers in HR (achieving no.3 in the HR Most Influential Thinkers award). Her work has contributed to both governmental and organisational strategy, and policy and guidelines globally. Rachel is passionate about using the best available evidence to develop and implement solutions which enable organisations, managers, teams and individuals to realise their potential and thrive at work and has committed her career to sharing and disseminating her knowledge widely.
If these topics are on your mind and you have not had a chance to talk to Dr. Rachel Lewis during her visit in Germany please feel free to reach out to centraleurope@internationalsos.com. We are pleased to arrange a virtual meeting for you.
*Radtke, R. (2022). Anteile der wichtigsten Krankheitsarten an den Arbeitsunfähigkeitstagen bis 2020. Statista. Zugriff am 15.09.2022.
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING IN PRACTICE
Thrive at work through a systematic and integrated approach to wellbeing
An international brewing company was in need of a systemic and integrated approach to prevent, protect and support employees across the region, catering to local needs at the same time.
Solution:
A three-year programme was developed with the buy-in from HR Directors and the Executive Board. Senior leaders from accross the business have been trained first, providing a space for learning and reflection to seek advice on managing the wellbeing in their team. In addition, Wellbeing Champions have been trained and coached, drawing on relevant theory, evidence and learning practice. The champions support managers in being more mental health aware and in implementing evidence-based solutions. HR Business Partners have been qualified, a Train the Trainer programme for local language trainers has been developed and resources translated.
Outcome:
450+ senior leaders, 14 Wellbeing Champions and 12 HR Business Partners have been trained. The organisation has completed a Gap Analysis to review policies and practices and programme material has been translated in multiple languages to roll-out the programme as well in Romania and Czech Republic. An evaluation framework will monitor behaviour change and business outcomes in the year ahead.
Independent Expert consultation about the constituents of ‘fair breaks’ for security officers
One of the busiest airports in Europe had to take mitigation measures during the pandemic such as changes to shift, breaking and roster patterns for security workers. Considering feedback from union and staff and to ensure resilience for security, the organisation conducted an independent expert consultation around what constituted a fair break for security workers, considering both wellbeing and productivity.
Solution:
To develop the most accurate picture an evidence-based practice methodology was used including: rapid review of academic literature on how breaks can be optimised for wellbeing and productivity, observation during shifts, comparable data from other airports, focus groups with HR, Occupational Health, Unions and Security, qualitative survey among security staff, focus groups with team managers and security officers.
Outcome:
Data of all sources was analysed to provide a series of recommendations around length of breaks, timing of breaks, breaking content, facilities, etc. The airport changed with immediate effect some shift and breaking patterns. The work was supported by unions as well as management as all parties have been involved.
Harmful behaviour review for a large mining organisation
As part of an overall employee psychosocial assessment, a potential risk with regards to harmful behaviour was identified. The mining organisation wanted to better understand the incidence and prevalence of bullying, harassment and racism, and commissioned a rigorous investigation to assess this.
Solution:
A multi-phase investigation to ensure that all employees were able to share experiences was designed. Stage 1: Gathering data on policies & practices, interviews with key stakeholders who manage harmful behavior. Stage 2: All employee questionnaire, gathering data on prevalence, experience and reporting. Stage 3: Focus groups and recommendation gathering, 10 solution finding workshops and 8 follow-up interviews were conducted to ensure buy-in and fit for purpose. Stage 4: Data analysis and recommendations on systemic level. Stage 5: Presentations to senior leadership globally to discuss recommendations and approach. Stage 6: 2-day-action planning event with senior leaders from all divisions (work in progress).
Outcome:
WorkSafe Australia (regulatory body in Australia) recommended this process as best-in-space. Client is discussing to follow a similar process in all parts of business globally.
If you have questions or would like to learn more about Mental Health and Wellbeing at Work reach out to your Account Manager or send a message to centraleurope@internationalsos.com.