Working for better mental health
A group of the UK’s leading safety and health organisations – including the CIEHF – has launched a new white paper calling for a national workplace mental health strategy to improve wellbeing at work. The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Stakeholder Alliance released the publication to mark this years’ World Mental Health Day on 10 October.
Figures from the Health and Safety Executive reveal 875,000 people in the UK suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2022-23 – with more than 17 million working days lost that year. Prioritising Mental Health in the Workplace calls on the UK Government, employers and health and safety professionals to do more to tackle the problem.
It says: “Work must be ‘good work’ and ‘decent work’. According to the World Health Organization, ‘decent work supports good mental health by providing a livelihood; a sense of confidence, purpose and achievement; an opportunity for positive relationships and inclusion in a community; and a platform for structured routines, among many other benefits’.
“Employers must do everything they can to create environments and cultures that are preventative, positive and supportive, offering people a sense of fulfilment and purpose.”