The Impact of Mental Health Awareness Training on Productivity
PMAC is the UK’s leading provider of workplace mental health/wellbeing training and consulting. Here they explore the benefits of mental health training on workplace productivity.
Mental health training is becoming increasingly prevalent in workplaces across the UK, and with good reason. Mental Health Awareness can have a significant impact on the overall wellbeing of employees, subsequently improving productivity levels within the workplace.
Benefits of Mental Health Awareness training include:
- Improved Employee Wellbeing
One of the most significant benefits of mental health related training, is the opportunity for individuals to learn not only about mental health diagnoses and difficulties, but also to learn about themselves.
By attending mental health awareness training, individuals also gain the opportunity to learn and practice skills and strategies that can help them to support and improve their mental health. This can help to improve resilience, making employees better equipped to manage day-to-day work stresses. Understanding the importance of being proactive in maintaining their wellbeing, individuals are likely to subsequently see an improvement in their work-life balance, and overall wellbeing.
- Increased Productivity
Mental health awareness training can also lead to increased productivity levels within the workplace. Employees who are struggling with their mental health are likely to struggle to perform their duties to the same level, as they may experience a decrease in motivation, struggle to concentrate, and memory impairments as a few examples. By providing training that helps employees manage their mental health, businesses are showing that they are invested in the success of the individuals in the team.
Employees who feel valued and that their employer believes in them, are more likely to feel positive about their work, be more committed in their work, and are more likely to perform to a higher level. This can lead to increased job satisfaction, improved self-esteem, reduced absenteeism, and improved performance overall.
- Improved Team Morale
Businesses that invest in their employees’ mental health and wellbeing through training typically see an improvement in morale across their employees. Employees who feel and invested in are more likely to feel a sense of loyalty to their employer. When morale improves, so too does communication and collaboration, making for more productive and more effective working.
Mental health training can also help to break down stigma and improve communication within teams. By offering a safe space for employees to discuss mental health concerns, you can create a more open and inclusive workplace culture.
- Decreased Absenteeism
Finally, mental health awareness training can lead to decreased absenteeism within the workplace. As mental health issues are a leading cause of absenteeism, by providing training that empowers employees to manage their mental health, you are likely to see a reduction in days lost to mental health-related sickness.
When employees feel empowered to tend to their mental health, they are less likely to end up off work with sickness.
In conclusion, there are several benefits to offering mental health awareness training in the workplace. From improved employee wellbeing, to increased productivity, decreased absenteeism; investing in mental health training is not only the ethical thing to do but also in a business’ best interests.
The Effect on Productivity and Performance
Mental health awareness training has become an important issue in many UK businesses. The impact of having a mentally healthy workforce cannot be overstated. When employees struggle with mental health problems, it affects their productivity and performance, and can even impact the team around them, which ultimately affects the bottom line.
Mental health awareness training is designed to help employees recognize the signs of mental ill health in themselves and others first of all. At PMAC our mental health awareness training seeks to help you to understand how and why mental health difficulties can arise, and the science as to why different interventions can be effective. The training provides individuals with strategies and resources to manage their own mental health. By openly discussing and normalising fluctuations in mental health and wellbeing, mental health awareness training can also be invaluable in reducing stigma and discrimination.
But how does mental health awareness training impact productivity and performance in the workplace?
The first benefit of mental health awareness training is that it helps reduce absenteeism. Mental ill health is one of the leading causes of absenteeism in the UK. According to the Centre for Mental Health, mental health difficulties cost UK employers £34.9 billion per year due to absenteeism, staff turnover, and lost productivity. Mental health awareness training can help employees to recognize the signs of mental illness in themselves and their colleagues, which can help them to take preventative measures.
Secondly, mental health awareness training can help reduce presenteeism. Presenteeism is when employees come to work but are not fully engaged or productive due to mental illness. According to the Health and Safety Executive, presenteeism costs UK employers £26 billion per year. Mental health awareness training can help employees recognize the signs of stress or mental illness in themselves, and provide strategies for managing their symptoms while at work.
Thirdly, mental health awareness training can improve employee morale and job satisfaction. When employees feel valued by their employer, they are more likely to feel engaged and motivated. By normalising mental health difficulties, mental health awareness training can also help to reduce stigma and discrimination in the workplace, creating a more inclusive and an accepting work environment.
In conclusion, mental health awareness training can significantly improve productivity and performance in the workplace. By reducing absenteeism and presenteeism, improving employee morale and job satisfaction, and creating a more inclusive work environment, mental health awareness training can help UK businesses improve their bottom line. It is essential therefore for businesses to invest in mental health awareness training for their employees.
How to Implement a Successful Program
Mental health awareness training has been proven to have a positive impact on productivity in the workplace. However, implementing a successful program can be challenging. We will explore the steps that businesses can take to implement a mental health awareness program that is effective and sustainable below:
Step 1: Assess the Needs of Your Employees
The first step to implementing a mental health awareness training program is to assess current the needs of your employees. You can do this by conducting surveys, interviews or focus groups. By identifying the specific challenges that your team face, you can offer targeted support and solutions.
Step 2: Develop a Training Program
Once you have identified the needs of your employees, you can begin to identify training programmes that address these needs. The program should be tailored to your employees and should include information about the following topics:
– What is mental health?
– How to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health problems
– How to manage mental health problems
– How to support someone who is experiencing mental health problems
Step 3: Deliver the Training
The next step is to deliver the training. Training can be delivered in person, virtually, via e-learning or multi-modally. It is important to ensure that the training is engaging, interactive and relevant to your employees.
Step 4: Encourage Participation
It is important to encourage participation in the mental health awareness training program. You can do this by offering incentives or rewards for participation. You can also make the program mandatory for all employees.
Step 5: Evaluate the Program
It is important to evaluate the effectiveness of the mental health awareness training program. This can be done through the use of surveys, interviews or focus groups. The feedback you receive will help you identify areas for improvement and make changes to the program if necessary.
In conclusion, implementing a successful mental health awareness training program in your workplace requires careful planning and execution. By assessing the needs of your employees, developing a tailored training program, encouraging participation and evaluating the effectiveness of the program, you can create a supportive workplace culture that fosters positive mental health and wellbeing.
