Cordell Health ©
Health and work update for clients as at 8th January 2024
PROMOTING, PROTECTING AND SUPPORTING HEALTH IN WORK
1. Promoting, protecting and supporting mental health at work
As we begin the New Year in 2024, and noting the strain on the NHS in the UK particularly in January each year, preventing ill health and injury at work is perhaps even more important than ever.
In our December update we drew attention to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics for 20231, including the 35.2 million working days lost due to work related illness and workplace injury. Of the 1.8 million working people suffering from a work related illness, mental health conditions accounted for 875,000 – just under half – and stress, anxiety and depression were the most common reasons for work related illness. This is in line with our experience in occupational health.
Among other sources, current HSE guidance on how employers can support people with mental health conditions2 is informed by the 2017 Thriving at Work report3. HSE state that creating a supportive and enabling culture in which inherent workplace pressures can be managed, to avoid work-related stress, will promote good mental health at work, and also support those with mental health conditions in work. The recent HSE campaign Working Minds brings together a range of tools and support to help businesses and workers understand the best ways to prevent work related stress and encourage good mental health4. The learning modules may be found at: https:/ workingminds.focusgames.com/
2. The role of occupational health in supporting mental health at work
HSE have long provided guidance on stress at work and stress risk assessment5. Reducing workplace stress factors as far as reasonably practicable, following the employer’s risk assessment, is especially important for those with pre-existing mental health conditions. However, workplace stress can affect anybody. A key element of the advice we give at the start of contracts, informed by the occupational health needs assessment at that stage, at service review meetings, and when provided proactively based on the cases we have seen, is to support the employer’s management of mental health at work.
Referrals to us to advise on the impact of mental health conditions at work, and on the impact of work factors on mental health, account for almost half of our case management referrals. Whether the problem is primarily one of a mental health condition impacting on work, or work impacting on mental health, there is often an interplay between both aspects. An important element of our assessment is to consider these factors, and to advise on fitness for work and how that employee may be supported. Usually the earlier we are referred such cases, the greater the likelihood of a successful outcome.
1 HSE vital statistics for 2023 at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overview.htm
2 HSE guidance on mental health conditions, work and the workplace at:
https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/index.htm
3 DWP/DHSC Work and Health Unit report Thriving at Work (2017) at:
https://www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/resource/thriving-at-work-the-stevenson-farmer-review-of-mental-health-and-employers/
4 HSE Working Minds campaign at: https://workright.campaign.gov.uk/campaigns/working-minds/
5 HSE guidance on mental health and stress at work at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/index.htm
Our observation is that the great majority of people we see with mental health conditions impacting on work have supportive managers. This is a significant factor in enabling those with mental health conditions (and indeed physical health conditions) to be sustained in their work. Part of our role therefore is to advise managers on how they may continue to support their team members with their mental health conditions, and offer further recommendations where appropriate.
However, it is also our experience that not all managers are seen as supportive. In a few cases the reason for referral can be a breakdown in the relationship between the manager and the employee referred. Difficulties in relationships at work, and the sense of not being supported, are two of the six workplace stress factors recognised by HSE in their guidance. The sense of not being in control of one’s work is another of the stress factors recognised by HSE; for example feeling “micro-managed”.
Although there may be factors beyond the control of managers that are leading to workplace stress, the support of the manager can make a significant difference to reducing the likelihood of an adverse effect from workplace stress factors. Therefore, although the job of a manager may have many pressures, ongoing training in a supportive style of management may reduce the risk of workplace stress among all members of the team, including workplace stress for the manager themselves.
Such training for managers is likely to enhance motivation of team members, and so increase productivity as well as wellbeing. Training is also likely to reduce working days lost due to work related illness, and reduce numbers of workers experiencing stress, anxiety and depression. We can contribute to this, and have provided training for managers to a number of our clients. Should this be considered helpful, arrangements may be made via your account managers.
Dr Robin Cordell
MBA FRCP FFOM
8 January 2024