Mindful Employer By employers, for employers Supporting you in recruiting & retraining staff Making it healthier to talk about mental health BOURNEMOUTH & POOLE MINDFUL EMPLOYER GROUP Neighbourhood Management Offices 22 Sea Road Boscombe Dorset BH5 1DD. 07793 529505 sim-bournemouth@together-uk.org Working in Partnership with MINDFUL EMPLOYER WorkWAYS King Street Business Centre 7-9 King Street Exeter EX1 1BQ. 01392 208833 info@mindfulemployer.net www.mindfulemployer.net MINDFUL EMPLOYER Stress, depression and anxiety are the cause of more working days lost than any other work-related illness. (Health & Safety Statistics Highlights 2003/04) For some, the link between stress and mental ill health may be a new one. We all need and, to a degree, thrive on stress: it gives us energy, it helps with performance, it inspires confidence. But when stress become harmful , perhaps due to too much (or too little) work, lack of time for social family and personal activities, inadequate training to do the job, or external factors . This can lead to other mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. The term mental ill health can also include schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder (manic depression) psychosis, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and is often associated with drug and alcohol abuse and eating disorders (e.g. anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa). MINDFUL EMPLOYER is an initiative led by employers aimed at increasing awareness of mental health at work and providing ongoing support for employers in the recruitment and retention of staff. The initiative would not be possible without those who have given freely of their time and provided invaluable support, advice, sponsorship and practical assistance in its development. A full list of those who have been involved is shown on the website at www.mindfulemployer.net MINDFUL EMPLOYER, which is facilitated by WorkWAYS, a service of Devon Partnership NHS Trust. Bournemouth and Poole MINDFUL EMPLOYER Group are developing a local network of employers who offer guidance and support, share resources and promote best practice with a view to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce. They aim to increase awareness of mental health issues at work to create a healthier, more productive work place. Why be a MINDFUL EMPLOYER? Being a MINDFUL EMPLOYER. Shows employees and others that you are a good employer Expresses corporate social responsibility Reduces recruitment and training costs Helps towards complying with legislation (e.g. DDA, Health & Safety) Reduces sickness levels Enhances customer service Improves productivity Makes your company more attractive with to people with mental health issues and others Helps retain staff who have experienced discrimination in the past Makes a healthier work place With the right support, people with mental health issues can & do stay in work. With the right support, you can continue to deliver your business. Key Principles There are four key principles in MINDFUL EMPLOYER: By Employers, For Employers MINDFUL EMPLOYER is led by employers and is for employers. It.s about increasing awareness of mental health, helping you deliver your business, providing support networks and information, and making it healthier to talk about mental health. Good Practices not Great Promises MINDFUL EMPLOYER is concerned with helping you in recruiting and retaining valued and talented members of staff. It is completely voluntary and will support you as an employer to work towards putting its principles in to practice in ways which are sensible, achievable and realistic. Adapted and Adopted You are the expert on your business. MINDFUL EMPLOYER will support you in adapting its principles within your own policies, structure and culture, adopting them for the longer-term benefit of your staff. Safe People not Scary Places 52% of people with a psychiatric history have concealed this fact from their employer for fear of losing their job. Mental ill health remains an area of fear and stigma for many. By being a MINDFUL EMPLOYER you will demonstrate that you are willing to enable disclosure of mental ill health to take place without fear of rejection or prejudice. How will this be achieved? It takes time. Changing attitudes and cultural expectations does not happen quickly and the key principles of MINDFUL EMPLOYER (shown above and further developed in the Charter for Employers who are Positive About Mental Health) are ones which employers can work towards and implement within the normal policies and practices of their company. Support is available. What form that assistance takes is very individual. It may come from within your own company or from other employers. Health professionals and support organisations can also help. It could, for example, be someone to talk to, advocacy in a meeting, information about mental health, help managing workloads, an alarm call because medication causes drowsiness or assistance in travelling to and from work. Through its network of employers, health professionals and support organisations, MINDFUL EMPLOYER helps enable employees, job applicants, managers and colleagues access advice, information and practical support. There is no cost in being involved in MINDFUL EMPLOYER. Your experience can also help develop this new initiative. MINDFUL EMPLOYER depends on the goodwill, time and expertise of those who wish to support it and also on financial sponsorship. We will welcome your ideas, suggestions, observations and expertise in developing the initiative so please contact Bournemouth & Poole MINDFUL EMPLOYER Group (07793 529505) or WorkWAYS (01392 208833) to find out more, visit www.mindfulemployer.net Charter for Employers who are Positive About Mental Health The Charter for Employers who are Positive About Mental Health is one aspect of MINDFUL EMPLOYER. The Charter is a voluntary agreement which seeks to support employers in working within the spirit of its positive approach. It.s not legally enforceable and doesn.t negotiate the need for you to get the right person with the right experience, qualifications and skills for the job. Whether you are a small, medium or large employer, the Charter fully respects there will be many different priorities, policies and practices which influence the way you recruit and retain staff . you are the expert on your business. There is no cost involved in signing up to the Charter and support, training and assistance will be available from Bournemouth & Poole MINDFUL EMPLOYER Group and other MINDFUL EMPLOYERS to work with you in implementing and reviewing your commitment to it. You can be involved in MINDFUL EMPLOYER without signing up to the Charter but we hope that many will use the Charter as a tangible display of their commitment to improving the working lives of their staff. It.s different from IiP, Disability Symbol, Chartermark and similar accreditations. The Charter is about working towards the principles of it not the immediate fulfilment of them, signing up is a step along a journey not the end of it. By signing up to the Charter you will : Show that your company is working towards putting its principles in to practice Be supported by other Mindful Employers and Bournemouth & Poole MINDFUL EMPLOYER Group Receive a personalised Charter showing your company name and logo Be able to display the MINDFUL EMPLOYER logo When you sign up to the Charter, you will receive a personalised certificate and be entitled to display the MINDFUL EMPLOYER logo on your literature, letterheads, website, job advertisements and other material your business produces. The Charter for Employers who are Positive about Mental Health has been drawn from similar Charters being operated by a number of NHS Trusts around the UK, the mind out for mental health publication, Line Managers. Resource: A Practical Guide to Managing & Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace and material by Devon Partnership NHS Trust. The Charter which is shown on the next page , has been compiled in conjunction with employers supporting the MINDFUL EMPLOYER initiative. A full list of Charter signatories is shown on the website. Charter For Employers Who Are Positive About Mental Health As an employer we recognise that: People who have mental health issues may have experienced discrimination a nd recruitment and selection procedures. This may discourage them from seeking employment. Whilst some people will acknowledge their experience of mental health issues in a frank and open way, others fear that stigma will jeopardise their chances of getting a job. Given appropriate support, the vast majority of people who have experienced mental ill health continue to work successfully as do many with ongoing issues. As an employer we aim to: Show a positive and enabling attitude to employees and job applicants with mental health issues. This will include positive statements in local recruitment literature. Ensure that all staff involved in recruitment and selection are briefed on mental health issues and the Disability discrimination Act, and given appropriate interview skills. Make it clear in any recruitment or occupational health check that people who have experienced mental health issues will not be discriminated against and that disclosure of a mental health problem will enable both employee and employer to assess and provide the right level of support or adjustment. Not make assumptions that a person with a mental health issue will be more vulnerable to workplace stress or take more time off than any other employee or job applicant. Provide non-judgemental and proactive support to individual staff who experience mental health issues. Ensure all line managers have information and training about managing mental health in the workplace. Our Response MINDFUL EMPLOYER is open to any employer: small, medium or large, private sector or public sector. There is no cost to being involved. Being involved demonstrates your commitment to your employees, new recruits and the promotion of good working practices. The initiative is the work of a voluntary, informal network of employers and support organisations. We would welcome your response and your involvement. click to download this infomation as a pdf