Poor mental health and workplace attrition are closely connected, with more and more professionals leaving roles due to poor mental health… 

According to a report by the Executive Development Network, 86% of UK professionals are more likely to leave an organisation that doesn’t support their wellbeing.

Struggling with mental health-related attrition? Or do you just want to do more to support your employees?

Here are 6 powerful things you can do to reduce mental health workplace attrition:

1. Improve manager awareness and mental health signposting.
2. Introduce meaningful mental health and wellbeing initiatives.
3. Schedule and stick to regular check-ins.
4. Invest in personal development coaching sessions.
5. Make Mental Health First Aid training a priority.
6. Support employees with self-help (in and out of work).

Want more insights? Employee wellbeing is something our specialist talent partners consult clients on regularly.

Making mental health in the workplace a priority

As well as being the right thing to do, supporting employee mental health should be a key part of any strong retention strategy.

Happy, focused employees who feel they can thrive in their working environment are more productive and get better results.

Unfortunately, right now, mental health support is not enough of a priority in a lot of workplaces. So, as a result…

41% of employees who have experienced poor mental health in the last year have said that work was a contributing factor.

The cost to the employer is staggering. In fact, the cost of mental ill health to businesses has soared by 25% since 2020. This has to do, in large part, with the number of UK employees that have left their jobs due to mental illness.

So, what can you do about it?

6 ways to improve reduce mental health workplace attrition

Top tips to make managing mental health in the workplace a priority in your organisation.

1.      Improve manager awareness and mental health signposting

It’s pretty much impossible to improve company culture if management aren’t on board. So, start by raising awareness of mental health in the workplace with managers.

The best way to understand how mental health affects your employees? Ask them!

This should ideally be done anonymously, especially if the topic isn’t talked about much in your office. You can find questionnaires online that will help you gauge what your employees are struggling with and how this relates to their work.

Once there is awareness, there can be effective signposting. Make sure managers are educated on the best resources available to employees who are struggling. This could include…

• Local counselling and support services.
• Online toolkits, like the ones you can find over on the Mental Health At Work.
• Your office Mental Health First Aiders (more on this later).

2.      Introduce meaningful mental health and wellbeing initiatives

Mental health support at work shouldn’t be purely reactive. Prevention is also so important!

An open, inclusive, and supportive company culture can make the working day a positive for employees. It stops issues like stress and burnout from becoming a serious problem. Or, if people are struggling, a positive working environment will encourage employees to speak to someone before things get too bad.

Just remember that it’s all well and good talking about it. But, unless you actually introduce and (most importantly) encourage your company’s wellness initiatives, they won’t have the desired impact.

We’ve tried and tested various wellbeing initiatives in our own offices. These are the ones that have made the most difference:

Walk and talk lunchtimes

If you’re on site, organise regular weekly or monthly lunchtime walks. This will give people the opportunity to get away from their work and spend time together outside of the office.

Friday successes

It’s important to take the time to celebrate everyone’s achievements and focus on the positives. We do this at the end of every Friday, when everyone in the team gets a drink (alcoholic or otherwise) and a chance to speak about the week’s biggest successes.

Wellbeing apps

Do some research into health and wellbeing apps that would benefit your teams. Some offer healthcare benefits, some offer incentives for exercising, and others include mindset and mindfulness resources.

Wellness Wednesday

Every Wednesday, we give our employees an extra long lunchtime that they can use to socialise, exercise, take time away from their desks, and just generally get some “me” time.

Once you know what your teams want or need, it’ll be easier to settle on and implement initiatives.

3.      Schedule and stick to regular check-ins

It may be simple, but it’s effective. Regular one-to-one sessions between employees and line managers will make it easier to spot worrying warning signs. So, introduce them, and make sure people stick to them.

Other benefits include making employees feel more appreciated, better alignment with projects and ways of working, and improved engagement.

This is particularly crucial if yours is a hybrid or home working model. It can be all too easy to leave your teams to their own devices. Not only is this bad for morale, but it can also make the working day a breeding ground for loneliness and stress.

(Side note: just because you have scheduled catch-ups doesn’t mean you can’t touch base at other times. If someone doesn’t seem themself, or you’re worried they’re falling into harmful habits, ask for a confidential chat.)

4.      Invest in personal development sessions

By investing in your employees’ personal development, you help to build their resilience and confidence. This is easy to do at scale if you invite a professional speaker or coach to present to your teams.

Work Kind, a purpose-driven provider of corporate speakers with inspiring real life stories, is here to help you make an impact on your employees.

The Work Kind speakers specialise in topics such as mental health, workplace confidence and resilience, and overcoming adversity, along with a wide variety of other tough topics that workplaces need to tackle:

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Disability.
• Neurodiversity.
• Anti-racism.
• Self-love.
• Growth mindset.

Interested? Reach out to hello@work-kind.co.uk to find out more!

5.      Make Mental Health First Aid training a priority

For companies committed to employee wellbeing at work, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training is an extremely valuable thing.

Ideal for management, as well as any volunteers in your teams, Mental Health First Aid training teaches essential skills in:

• Prevention.
• Early intervention.
• Signposting.

If you’re unsure of how to create an effective mental health strategy, assist those who need it, or give appropriate support, then this is sure to benefit your teams. We certainly found our Mental Health First Aid sessions to be a positive, educational experience! And the gains have been felt throughout the business.

There are regular training sessions, both in-person and online, that your business can sign up to. Check the website to find upcoming sessions that suit you.

6.      Support employees with self-help (in and out of work)

Not everyone is used to or comfortable with looking after themselves. So, it’s up to you as an employer to offer guidance.

As well as improving the working environment, this sort of support can also help employees with their work-life balance. And you’ll be glad to hear that there are plenty of ways to encourage self-care amongst your employees.

You could share:

• Simple recipes to promote healthy eating.
• Personal care tips.
• Mindfulness exercises.
• Mindset podcasts.
• Personal development books.

Or, you could make a group and encourage your team to share what that they find useful!

Another powerful way to promote self-help is to communicate with your employees. If you’ve noticed that someone doesn’t look quite like themselves at the start of the week, ask them: “are you doing anything at the weekend that’s affecting your Monday?”

Managing mental health in the workplace

When you make mental health in the workplace a priority, you make the day-to-day lives of your employees better. And, as a direct result, you can improve productivity and quality of results. All of this translates directly to drastically reduced employee attrition.

96% of the people we place are still with that organisation 12 months later. So, we know a thing or two about employee retention.

Would you like a confidential chat about how to improve employee mental health and retention? Or are you searching for employees with the right culture fit and background for your business?

Either way, get in touch today!

And, if you or someone in your organisation needs help, check out the resources below:

• Samaritans: 116 123 (Samaritans)
• Mind Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (Mind Infoline)
• Anxiety UK
• Depression UK
• Bereavement Advice Centre