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Mental Health Awareness Training
Employers have a legal duty of care to provide a safe working environment for employees. Moreover, employers have a moral duty to support employees' mental and emotional wellbeing. UK government statistics show that poor mental health costs businesses £34.6 billion annually. Increasing awareness of mental health can de-stigmatise the conversation and build a culture in which employees can thrive.
This is a 4-hour session to raise awareness of wellbeing and mental health, and for delegates to learn how to recognise and look after their own mental health.
What you’ll learn:
- Mental Health and Wellbeing
- The Mental Health Continuum
- Stigma and myth around Mental Health
- Stress, anxiety and depression
- Overview of other Mental Health conditions
- Early warning signs and where to go for support
- Wellbeing plan
Price:
1/2 day training for up to 12 delegates - £1000 (+ VAT).
| Benefits to the Business | Benefits to the Delegate |
| Support the company’s well-being agenda | Be confident in supporting colleagues and knowing where to sign post them |
| Create an agile workforce who can recognise the early signs of poor mental health | Have an appreciation for mental health conditions |
| Build an inclusive culture where employees work to their full potential | Feel comfortable to be honest about your absence and seeking help |
| Reduce unexplained absences and manage long-term sickness effectively | Know how to take care of your own mental health and wellbeing as well as others’ |
Get in touch to find out more.
Mental Health First Aider Training: One-day
One-Day Course on First Aid for Mental Health
To enquire about new dates please email: Training@hrchampions.co.uk
Course Overview
This one-day course equips employers and employees with the knowledge and skills to understand mental health conditions, promote well-being in the workplace, and provide initial support. Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) play a crucial role in fostering a supportive environment, identifying early signs of mental health issues, and guiding individuals towards appropriate professional help. Employers have a legal duty to ensure their workplace is a safe and supportive space, and Mental Health First Aiders are an essential part of fulfilling this responsibility. This course builds the foundation to meet these standards, emphasising the importance of mental health in the workplace.
What You’ll Learn
By the end of the course, you will:
- Understand what First Aid for Mental Health is and its importance in the workplace
- Learn to identify mental health conditions, including stress and anxiety
- Develop the skills to start conversations and provide advice confidentially
- Understand how to address mental health conditions related to stress, drugs, and alcohol
- Implement the First Aid for Mental Health action plan effectively.
Course Syllabus
The course covers key topics, including:
- What is First Aid for Mental Health?
- Identifying mental health conditions and early warning signs.
- Providing advice and starting a conversation.
- Understanding stress and its impact on mental health.
- Mental health conditions related to drugs and alcohol.
- Creating and applying a First Aid for Mental Health action plan.
- Implementing First Aid for Mental Health in the workplace.
Course Details
Duration: 1 day. 9.00am to 4.00pm
Assessment: Practical exercises, open-ended questions, and multiple-choice assessments.
Certification: Upon successful completion, participants will earn:
- FAA Level 2 Award in First Aid for Mental Health (RQF) or
- Award in First Aid for Mental Health at SCQF Level 5.
These certifications are valid for three years. Annual refresher training is recommended, and participants must retake the full course to requalify after three years.
To book onto this course, please email training@hrchampions.co.uk
| Benefits to the Business | Benefits to the Delegate |
| Build a team of listeners who can signpost colleagues to the right support | Recognise poor mental health signs in colleagues |
| Pay now, save later: poor mental health costs UK businesses £1,300 per employee | Feel confident in holding conversations with vulnerable colleagues in the workplace |
| Reduce unexplained staff absences | Know the appropriate support services available internally and externally |
| Avoid long-term sickness by recognising the signs of poor mental health in colleagues early | Contribute to the company’s well-being culture |
Mental Health and the working environment – part 2
We can probably all agree that we spend a LOT of our time at work. Our own work space can often feel like an area where we’re not in control. Given the impact that our physical environment can have on our mental health, it’s easy to see how a disorderly workspace can lead to increased stress or exacerbate other underlying mental health issues.
Whether it’s an untidy desk space, poor lighting, noisy colleagues, or even topics of conversation within the office that make you feel uncomfortable, unwelcome elements in a workplace can sometimes be difficult to overcome, no matter how minor they may seem. It all adds up – and can make or break the enjoyment of being in the working environment.
However, that doesn’t mean that everything is out of your control. Here, we’ve come up with a few tips to help you regain control of your working environment and ensure that those little niggles don’t become the final straw of an already stressful day.
Here's part 2 of our guide to improving your working environment.
Time away from desk
Ensuring you actually have a little break from your desk really does make a huge difference. And the irony here is that the reason people often don’t do this is because they’re ‘too busy’! It’s likely that these are the individuals who will benefit the most from stepping away for 10 minutes to have some breathing space. So, make sure you take a break when things are getting too much; you’ll often find you’re in a much better place afterwards.
Conversation topics
There are times when the topics of conversation in the office can be the cause of discomfort – whether it’s because somebody’s talking about something that hits close to home, or just something you’re uncomfortable discussing in a workplace. This can be a tricky situation to deal with without causing unnecessary friction. Excusing yourself from the conversation is often easier said than done, and asking people to change topic can come across confrontational. Depending on your relationship with your colleagues, most people won’t mind discussing something else if you say you’re uncomfortable, so don’t be afraid to ask, especially if you feel it’s having a detrimental effect on your mood.
Food & drink
Does your workplace have a ‘bring cakes on your birthday’ rule? The constant stream of cakes in the office can be great, but it can also have a negative impact on mood. It could be that you’re trying to watch your weight so the constant influx in sweet treats just adds more pressure. It could be that you’re happy to have the occasional cake, but the sugars in treats have a negative effect on your mood.
So, what can you do about it? This can be a tricky on to deal with, as it involves getting agreement from everybody in your workspace on how to move forward. But putting forward suggestions of limiting office cakes to perhaps once a month (regardless of birthdays!), or to swap cakes for healthier snacks, and not necessarily fruit which can also be high in sugar, can have a positive impact on everybody’s mental and physical health.
Dogs at work
This is Betty. She’s in our office 99% of the time, and is always open to cuddles, treats, and walks. She’s can be an absolute godsend on a stressful day.
There’s plenty of research to show that dogs in the workplace have a positive impact, on both mental and physical health. If a regular dog in the office isn’t feasible, then you could suggest a ‘Bring Your Dog to Work Day’ or similar.
Obviously make sure that you check everybody in the office is okay with dogs, and that if multiple people are bringing a dog in on the same day that they’re happy to socialise with other dogs.
So, there we have it – a few simple ways to help ensure your working environment isn’t having a detrimental effect on your mental health. Remember, if things are getting too much for you, whether in the workplace or otherwise, it’s always better to talk through potential problems before they become too big. Speak to somebody you trust – a friend, family member, or colleague; and if your workplace has them, a Mental Health First Aider. We have training courses for this.
Mental Health Seminar - 20 March 2019
Having held our Mental Health Seminar last week, it’s clear that employers’ responsibilities regarding the mental wellbeing of their employees is an issue that will continue to be at the forefront of HR and Employment Law for some time to come. Already a concern for many businesses, the view of speakers during the seminar was that more preparation is needed to prevent poor mental health escalating into a significant risk for employers. There is plenty we can do however.
Following a presentation from Abbie Warren of the day’s nominated charity, Sunshine Suicide Support, delegates heard from a variety of presenters who covered a wide range of topics associated with mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. As you might expect, presentations were sprinkled with various facts and figures, some of which were quite shocking and brought the scale of the mental health issue in the UK to the fore.
Statistics shared included:
- In the last 6 years the number of working days in the UK lost to stress, depression and anxiety has increased by 24% and now stands at over 15 million - Mental Health Foundation
- Mental health problems at work cost employers £33bn-£42bn - Centre for Mental Health 2018
- And the total impact on the UK economy ranges between £74 and £99 billion - UK Govt. Thriving at Work 2017
- 33% of employees have been diagnosed with a mental health issue - Mental Health at Work 2018 Report
- And 1 in 5 people take a day off work due to stress - Mental Health Foundation
- 10% of managers reported sick for stress & Mental health issues during 2018 - CMI, 2018
From a legal perspective, delegates heard from Anne-Marie Boyle, partner at Menzies Law – Specialist Employment Lawyers, who clearly set out the legal viewpoint around mental health and disability in general.
As mental health conditions can be classed as disability, Anne-Marie’s presentation covered definitions of disability and impairment and went on to explain the types of claim that could arise from somebody with a disability. Apart from the obvious unfavourable treatment from an employer, bullying, harassment and victimisation from colleagues were also highlighted as risk areas that remain the responsibility of the employer.
After lunch, presenters from HR Champions took the floor, tackling the subject of managing mental health conditions in the workplace. Whilst we looked at the practical aspects of managing absence and making reasonable adjustments, we also discussed employee wellbeing in general and how to spot the signs of and deal with potential mental health issues before they got out of hand.
We finished the afternoon session studying a range of case studies to give delegates a flavour of how mental health conditions actually manifest themselves in the workplace and the impact this can have upon employers.
Altogether the seminar we exceptionally well received with plenty of praise and thanks to all presenters. Our nominated charity for the day, Sunshine Suicide Support was the beneficiary of 100% of the attendance fee charged to delegates, a sum of over £1,000.
Keep an eye on our events page at https://hrchampions.co.uk/events for details of future events including our new mental health training courses.
Mental Health and the working environment – part 1
We can probably all agree that we spend a LOT of our time at work. Our own work space can often feel like an area where we’re not in control. Given the impact that our physical environment can have on our mental health, it’s easy to see how a disorderly workspace can lead to increased stress or exacerbate other underlying mental health issues.
Whether it’s an untidy desk space, poor lighting, noisy colleagues, or even topics of conversation within the office that make you feel uncomfortable, unwelcome elements in a workplace can sometimes be difficult to overcome, no matter how minor they may seem. It all adds up – and can make or break the enjoyment of being in the working environment.
However, that doesn’t mean that everything is out of your control. Here, we’ve come up with a few tips to help you regain control of your working environment and ensure that those little niggles don’t become the final straw of an already stressful day.
Weather & lights
The British weather can be varied, and it’s recognised that it can really impact our mood. This is can be especially true on a damp Monday morning when getting into the office after a relaxed weekend feels particularly challenging.
So how can we make sure that our working environment always feels nice and sunny? SAD lamps could be one way of doing this – sat on your desk or near your work station they’re designed to replicate natural light, and can help treat those with Seasonal Affective Disorder. Whilst there’s mixed opinion of the effectiveness of these to treat SAD, brightening up your work space with more natural-feeling light will certainly help on those dreary mornings and possibly help to lift your mood.
Desk space
It may seem trivial, but ensuring your desk space is clean, tidy, and a comfortable place to be can make a huge difference to feeling happy at work; especially if you’re in a role that means you’re at your desk a lot.
Making sure that paperwork is tidied away, rubbish is binned or recycled, and clutter is minimised can work wonders when it comes to keeping a clear head.
Making your workspace your own with photos, plants, or the occasional ornament can help too. Whilst there will be limitations depending on where you’re working (so no building of desk forts), adding a small plant or two can make a huge difference to how you feel at your desk. Workplaces are often sterile and unnatural feeling places, so bringing nature indoors can work wonders for making your desk feel like a more homely place.
Hotdesking and clear-desk policies can make this difficult – but that doesn’t mean that you can’t pop a couple of desk items in your laptop bag that you can whip onto whatever desk you happen to be working on.
Noise
Offices can be noisy places, especially when you’re trying to get your head down to really focus on something. Headphones are the obvious answer to this – but not everybody can work with music on. Plus, if you can still hear the muffled conversation in the background it’s probably way more irritating anyway.
Suggesting your workplace has a quiet area might be an option. It’s unlikely you’ll be the only person needing a bit of peace to be able to crack on with some work, so it’s not like you need to lock yourself into a dark meeting room to get away from it all.
Working from home
If the office environment is proving too much and your employer allows it, then working from home occasionally might be an option. Most companies now have the technical infrastructure to be able to offer this, so it’s worth asking if you’re able to do so if you feel it’ll be productive, particularly if you need a day without distractions. Working from home means you’re in an environment you’re comfortable with, so can pay dividends in terms of productivity, as well as help keep your mental health in check.
That’s provided of course you don’t get distracted, and don’t do it too often. We’re social creatures after all, so being at home alone all of the time can be detrimental. Not only that, but the majority of job roles require interaction with larger teams of people – something you’ll miss out on if you make a habit of working from home, especially if you’re a part of a team that is otherwise all office-based.
That's all for part 1 - read part 2 here.
Mental Health Seminar: Wednesday March 20
According to the OECD (Office of Economic Co-operation & Development) Mental illness costs the UK economy an estimated £94 billion per annum in lost productivity, social benefits and healthcare. Because mental health conditions are treated as disability, they immediately fall under the remit of the Equalities Act 2010. The wrong course of action towards an employee with a mental health condition, such as anxiety or stress, can easily lead to a discrimination claim; potentially ending in an Employment Tribunal. And because mental health is a Protected Characteristic, Tribunal awards are unlimited.
Remember, there is no obligation to declare a mental health issue during recruitment and you may not become aware of an employee’s condition until an episode occurs. Having a strategy in place to recognise, manage and support employees’ mental health wellbeing will help you maintain a productive, happy and motivated workforce.
Mental health issues can be complex, diverse and wide ranging. The more common conditions we are aware of include stress, anxiety and depression. These can be bought on by a tough work schedule or deadline or perhaps external factors such as the death of a loved one or physical illness. Additionally severe and enduring mental illness can be life changing.
As employers, our approach to mental health should be the same as any other health condition. We have a duty of care towards our employees and should ensure they are safe and that the work environment is a safe place to be. Because mental health issues don’t generally have any outwardly visible signals like a plaster cast would be for a broken arm, or a streaming nose and red eyes from an allergy, we need to take other steps to identify it.
It’s commonly reported that admitting to having mental issues is shrouded with stigma and is seen as a weakness; especially amongst men. Few people want to admit to being unable to cope or that that are feeling stressed. However this is exactly what needs to change. We should try to create an environment where employees can express their concerns and what is causing them problems.
If we are able to catch the causes of mental health issues early on then we can do something about it, thereby increasing the chances of resolving the issue before it gets out of hand and causes anyone to have to take time off work.
During our seminar, speakers from HR Champions, Menzies Law, and NHS 2gether Trust will talk around a variety of mental health topics. The aim is to equip you with the tools you need to be able to spot the signs of mental health conditions and effectively manage mental health issues as they arise in your workplace.
This seminar will help you:
- Recognise the signs, behaviours and triggers that an employee has a mental health issue
- Understand your legal obligations and duties including making reasonable adjustments and protecting employees from harassment
- Appreciate the risks associated with failing to follow Employment Legislation
- Understand what community support is available for employees with mental health issues
- Create a culture to prevent the stigma of mental health and enable employers to work effectively with sufferers of poor mental health
For help and support with mental health cases, you can as usual call us on 01452 331331 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Or book now to come along to the seminar. Your attendance fee of £50 will be donated to local Mental Health charities.
Adverse Weather - The Rules
So, following a weekend of significant snowfall, we now find ourselves in the grip of Storm Eric to batter the UK with gale force winds and torrential downpours. Once again we’re experiencing an adverse weather event. You know the routine; expect major disruption as schools and businesses close, public transport is cancelled, the Met Office and police advise “Do not travel”.
Some employees struggle to make their way into work whilst others don’t even make it off the drive. So, what are the rules for businesses regarding payment for employees?
Here’s the low-down.
Where a business is unable to open owing to adverse weather, but employees still make themselves available for work, then they should still be paid as they are fulfilling, or attempting to fulfil, their duties under their contract of employment.
Conversely, should your business remain open during adverse weather, but your employees are unable or unwilling to get to work, then there is no obligation to pay them.
Those are the hard and fast rules, but, for the sake of employee relations and maintaining morale and goodwill within your organisation, we would always advise discretion and compromise; particularly for smaller businesses.
The type of business and business premises involved will probably dictate how seriously you are affected. For a shop, restaurant, factory or warehouse the effects are likely be significant. For office based staff on the other hand, the availability of the Internet means that there may be some options such as working from home or arranging to work from an alternative site.
For some businesses, adverse weather may make it too dangerous for employees to be working; roof-workers in icy conditions for example. Here, a “lay-off” clause might be an appropriate solution.
Your employees have a right to know what to do should adverse weather strike, so we strongly recommend that all employers have a robust Adverse Weather Policy in place. The policy should clearly lay out how the organisation will act in cases of adverse weather and how it expects its employees to behave. It should lay out the options available to employees and should also include how employees pay might be affected.
Having a properly implemented Adverse Weather Policy in place is a cheap and effective solution that will leave everybody in an organisation clear about what to do, what to expect and what is expected of them.
If you don’t already have an adverse weather policy or yours needs updating, perhaps because of the opportunities that the Internet now provides, we recommend that you take the appropriate action. We can’t do anything about the weather, but as businesses we can be prepared to manage what we do about it when it turns bad.
If you would like further help or advice regarding the issues raised here or anything else related to HR and Employment Law, just call us on 01452 331331 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Employment Law After Brexit
We usually try to keep this blog a Brexit-free zone, however with the shenanigans going on in Westminster at the moment over the terms of the deal under which we leave Europe, we thought it would be a good idea to give some ideas about what might happen with Employment Law after 29th March.
We don’t actually expect any aspects of UK Employment Law that have arrived as a result of EU directives to be repealed. There is potential however; especially for some features of the Working Time Directive. Other laws, which have been initiated in the UK, such as the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage will definitely remain.
As we near the end of the two year period to negotiate the terms of our exit, discussion has revolved almost exclusively around trade and immigration. Whilst sovereignty was one of the key canvassing issues on the run-up to the referendum, little has been debated about UK governance post-Brexit.
Because many of the laws that have come into effect as a result of EU Directives are to the benefit of employees, their sudden withdrawal would be likely create discord amongst the workforce, potentially leading to protests and even strikes. Imagine the reaction from employees if, for example, their rights to holiday pay were withdrawn.
Some UK legislation has been implemented completely independently of the EU and its repeal as a result of our exiting Europe is implausible. It could have been superseded by European Law if we had elected to stay in however. Such legislation includes.
- The National Minimum and Living Wage
- Unfair Dismissal
- The right to strike
Laws that have been implemented as a result of EU legislation and therefore have potential to be repealed include:
- The Working Time Directive
- Parental Leave
- TUPE
- Equal pay
- Collective Redundancy Consultation
- Protection for Part-time and Temporary workers
The Working Time Directive is seen to be the most costly legislation for UK employers to implement and we continue to feel its effect. It was under WTD legislation that a European ruling held that field based employees should count travelling to their first and from their last appointments as working time.
We often hear talk from MPs about alternative exit strategies such as ‘Norway Plus’, but no-one has explained whether free movement of people will mean having to maintain EU directed laws. Moreover, would it mean an obligation to adopt any new laws that the EU introduce.
When we do eventually leave, we must hope that common sense will prevail; that the good laws will stay and the less favourable ones will be scrapped. It’s unimaginable to think that the ban on smoking in indoor public places will ever be repealed for example. Whereas there’s a strong case to ditch the ruling that VAT must be charged on gas and electricity.
Whilst we wait for the final exit, if you find yourself with workplace issues that involve UK Employment Law as it stands, then do call us on 01452 331331 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Can my employee quit by text message?
Insistence on written documents has given way to e-mails over recent years and now the likes of banks and even the Inland Revenue accept, and sometimes insist that communications are made electronically.
More recently still, mobile messaging and social media apps including text messaging and Whatsapp have become much more prevalent as businesses and organisation recognise their speed and effectiveness for communicating to employees and customers.
As mobile communication becomes engrained in organisational culture however, we recommend that a line is drawn and some communications are only ever be made as hard copy. An employee is unlikely to expect to receive his or her contract of employment as a text message, so when it comes to leaving the company it’s right that something as serious as a resignation should be formalised in a written and signed letter.
Text messaging, or SMS (Short Messaging Service), has been around for over twenty-five years, so texting and its derivatives are common forms of communication for many. Messages are usually read very soon after receipt, but they don’t necessarily interrupt the recipient unless he or she chooses to allow it.
It’s easy to understand why someone might choose to use a text message to deliver news that may not be welcomed by the recipient. Resignations and ‘calling in sick’ are classic examples. The message is effectively in writing, and the sender doesn’t have to be present or speak to anyone to deliver the news. However, apart from being impersonal and impolite, some reasons why we advise not to accept them for resignations at least include:
- The text may have been sent ‘in the heat of the moment’ as a result of a disagreement or other situation that has disgruntled the employee. Has he or she simply reached for their mobile phone and ‘fired off’ a text as a way to let off steam?
- Was the text actually sent by your employee? It could have been friends or colleagues just ‘having a laugh’, or more sinisterly, deliberately trying get the mobile phone owner into trouble.
Well worded clauses in your company handbook stating the company’s views on mobile messaging is a good idea, though make sure that your managers abide by the rules too. If accepting holiday requests by text becomes common practice, it may become too common to overturn if it is later decided that it isn’t acceptable.
You might even want to consider being specific about exactly what types of messaging are acceptable for what. Don’t forget that texts, Whatsapp messages and Tweets come with an in-built date and time stamp, and so can prove very useful if a timeline of events has to be substantiated; in a disciplinary case for example. Formal matters should always be supplemented by a written communication that requires a signature. No-one has ever been issued a ‘final texted warning’ after all and we don’t think we could get it to stand up as being part of the disciplinary process.
If you are the recipient of a resignation by text message, you should offer a meeting with your employee to establish if he or she deliberately sent the message and to discuss the issue. Perhaps allow a short period of time for them to reflect on their actions if you feel it is appropriate or that the text may have been a mistake in the heat of the moment.
If the resignation is genuine then write to the employee reminding them of their contractual notice period and ask for a formal letter of resignation on paper for your own administrative purposes and so that you can confidently fulfil your duties to the inland revenue and issue a P45.
If you would like support and advice regarding what is and isn’t acceptable as a text or mobile message, call us on 01452 331331 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Drug and Alcohol Testing at Work
It’s about this time of year, as we approach the festive season, that the police traditionally announce their crackdown campaign against drink-drivers.
Employers might want to consider taking a similar stance when it comes to drug and alcohol testing at work. Especially with NHS statistics claiming that as many as 1 in 12 adults between the ages 18 and 59 had taken an illicit substance in the year to 2017 and with little in the way of deterrents against drinking in the recent budget,
Drug and alcohol testing at work should form part of your Health and Safety policy and we recommend that it is promoted as being there for the welfare of employees. This is particularly relevant where you have employees who’s ability to do their job safely could be impaired if they are under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. And remember they could harm colleagues and members of the public as well as themselves.
Employees that would be considered to be in ‘high risk’ groups include amongst others, drivers, those who work at height, handlers of hazardous substances or those who work with vulnerable adults and children.
To avoid risks of victimisation or discrimination claims, drug and alcohol tests should be carried out either on the entire workforce, or on a selection of employees that you can prove has been chosen at random. Testing only the high risk employees amongst your workforce is acceptable and we would advise this is done as a minimum under a business’s corporate manslaughter responsibilities. However you may choose to test all staff, or representatives of all staff or departments to ensure that workers are not on site under the influence of illegal substances.
Although self-use kits are available, when conducting tests it’s a good idea to use a professional external organisation to maintain consistency and avoid mistakes. You’ll also be able to ensure that proper records are kept and it will be less likely that any positive results are objected to.
The frequency of tests and whether they are applied to the whole workforce or a random selection and/or just high risk employees should be information contained within your staff handbook. This should also detail the likely consequences of a positive test result depending upon which substances are identified in the test.
We recommend that it is made very clear that tests will be held at random. Giving notification of when drug and alcohol tests will happen totally negates the reason for applying them.
For further help and support in managing drug and alcohol testing, your staff handbook wording and what to do in the result of a positive test, call us on 01452 331331 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.