HR Coffee Time1 Okt 2021

009 | Understanding & supporting mental health at work, with Danielle Bridge

Do you feel confident in the mental health support you have put in place at work? Or are you worried it might not be as effective as you'd like it to be?

Are you feeling the strain of your increased workload and responsibilities as an HR professional since the pandemic struck?

Is your own mental health suffering but you're ploughing on and hoping things will get better soon?

The pandemic has ramped up concerns about mental health, with lockdowns, government advice and rules that change constantly, periods of homeschooling, job uncertainty, social distancing the petrol crisis and panic-buying in supermarkets all being examples of the extra stress we've all been exposed to. In fact, "Mental health related absence is the most common cause of long-term sickness absence in UK workplaces" CIPD, 2021

This episode of the HR Coffee Time podcast is here to help; with expert advice, tips and knowledge about mental health strategies that work, shared by Danielle Bridge, CEO of ABC Life Support.

Key Points From This Episode

[01:30] Free access to the Power Up Your LinkedIn Profile online course

[02:51] Introduction to Danielle Bridge from ABC Life Support

[05:17] HR professionals are at risk of burnout

[06:02] Health and safety law says to look after the health and wellbeing of your staff

[07:04] Since the pandemic, there is greater awareness of the importance of supporting mental health

[07:29] There is confusion about what mental health is

[08:29] What does supporting mental welfare and mental wellbeing of staff look like?

[09:05] Why EAPs (Employee Assistance Programs) may have a low take-up rate, despite providing an excellent service

[09:52] How to increase awareness and take-up of the services offered by your organisation's EAP

[10:43] What Mental Health First Aid is

[15:22] The reasons that Fay became a Mental Health First Aider

[19:55] The risk of suicide when making redundancies

[21:13] There is a wealth of information and resources for mental health support that we can signpost people to

[22:03] Using user testimonies to increase take-up of EAP services

[23:18] Implementing a suicide disclosure process

[24:36] How Mental Health First Aiders can help when someone is in a difficult place

[26:57] What to do after training people in the organisation as Mental Health First Aiders

[28:48] The importance of having a structure and plan underpinning training people in Mental Health First Aid

[29:50] Identifying what your end goals are for introducing Mental Health First Aiders at work

[30:53] Deciding on who should receive Mental Health First Aider training

[33:23] An example of a company planning for strong mental health support effectively

[34:52] Using Employee Representation Groups to help plan your mental health support strategy

[38:26] The importance of consulting your employee community

[40:38] Creating your own mental health toolbox to support your personal mental health

[42:00] Recognising the signs that your mental health is under strain

[44:13] Danielle's book recommendation; "The Daily Stoic - 366 meditations on wisdom, perseverance, and the art of living" by Ryan Holiday, Stephen Hanselman et al.

Useful Links From This Episode

Rate and Review the Podcast

If you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts.

If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: fay@brightskycareercoaching.co.uk.

Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!

Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time email.

Mentioned in this episode:

Kara Connect - Help When It's Needed Most

Menopause, grief, ADHD, relationship breakdown... Every day, employees dealing with these situations are turned away by their EAP because they didn't qualify for counselling. When someone finally asks for help, they deserve better. Visit Kara Connect, where no employee is ever turned away.

Kara Connect

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(173)

172 | HR and AI: How One Company Helped Employees Embrace AI (with Laura Maffucci)

Laura Maffucci has played a key role in helping her organisation embrace AI. The surprising part? She doesn't actually like AI.In this episode of HR Coffee Time, Laura, Head of HR at G-P, shares her h...

5 Jun 31min

171: How to Build Trust & Get Buy-In Through Brilliant Employee Communication (with Nik Nawaaz)

You can design the best HR strategy, introduce brilliant benefits, or roll out an important change - but if people do not understand it, engage with it, or take action, none of it matters.That is why ...

22 Mai 34min

170: 4 Ways to Stay Focused At Work and Handle Interruptions

Are constant interruptions at work stopping you from getting through your most important tasks?If you work in HR or a People role, you’ll know how quickly your day can be taken over by “have you got a...

8 Mai 16min

169 | A Brilliant Example of What ‘Being Strategic’ in HR Actually Looks Like (with Harriet Mewis)

Have you wondered what ‘being strategic’ actually looks like? In this episode, you’ll hear a real, step-by-step example of what being strategic can look like in your day-to-day work.Host, Fay Wallis, ...

24 Apr 38min

168 | The 5 Things That Will Help You Become a Successful HR Director

If you’ve been working hard in your HR career but still feel unsure what will truly help you step up into an HR Director role (or have more impact in the one you’re already in), this episode is for yo...

10 Apr 13min

167 | The Weird Confidence Trick That Actually Works

Is there something at work you know you’re capable of… but in the moment, your nerves take over?Whether it’s speaking up in a meeting, handling a difficult conversation, or stepping into a high-pressu...

27 Mar 13min

166 | The Biggest HR Strategy Mistake – And How to Fix It (with Dean Corbett)

Could you be making the biggest HR strategy mistake without realising it?Creating an HR or People strategy can feel overwhelming - especially when many HR professionals are expected to do it without e...

13 Mar 35min

165 | What Being “Commercial” Really Means & How to Get Better at It (with Jo Bailey)

Struggling to feel confident when Finance conversations come up at work? Been told you need to be "more commercial" but not sure what that actually means? In this practical episode, Commercial HR Coac...

27 Feb 35min