Samaritans, a mental health support organisation, has revised its Samaritans Training and Engagement Programmes (STEP) courses in preparation for World Mental Health Day (10 October).
The workplace support programs were created with the goal of teaching employees to recognize persons in distress and give the appropriate assistance.
The series of one-day workshops includes a session on handling suicidal talks, which teaches learners how to talk to persons who are suicidal.
According to Juliane Sterzl, senior vice president EMEA at CoachHub, there is a financial as well as a psychological benefit to HR professionals concentrating on mental health.
“The projected cost of depression and anxiety to the global economy in lost productivity is $1 trillion per year, suggesting that a lack of mental health care in the workplace not only influences workplace culture and productivity, but also has a concrete, quantified economic impact,” she added.
Samaritans also offer a course on having conversations with vulnerable people, helping employees recognise situations that can lead someone to feel vulnerable.
Another course tackles building resilience and wellbeing, with the aim of getting workers to prioritise self care and respond well to changes in their environment.
The funds raised from delivering the STEP courses will go towards funding Samaritans work in the future.
Rob Evans, senior HR consultant at WorkNest, highlighted the importance of giving line managers the necessary mental health support training. He said: “Line managers are on the frontline for monitoring and supporting employee wellbeing, so underinvesting in this area will be detrimental.
“If managers are equipped with the right knowledge and skills, they can spot the earliest signs of underlying mental health issues, open up better lines of communication with employees surrounding mental health, and learn the different types of support they can offer team members that need it.
Research from HR, payroll, and finance specialist MHR found 62% of employees thought their employer did not care about their mental wellbeing, while 55% of those surveyed felt pressure to hide their mental health concerns at work.
Jeanette Wheeler, chief HR officer at MHR, added: “The fact that employees feel pressured into hiding their mental health is concerning, and with some believing their employer doesn’t care about their mental wellbeing at all, shows a real division between employers and employees.
“To bridge this gap, employers need to form connections with employees beyond work and prove that their mental health comes first. Having these conversations is advantageous to everyone as will enable employees to get their concerns off their chests, perhaps find a solution, or simply start to feel in a better place after talking with another person.”
