Working towards wellbeing

In ‘Lost Connections’ Johann Hari asserts the less intrinsically motivated we are by our work, the more likely we are to become depressed. Also impacting staff depression, Hari says, is a staff member's position within the company hierarchy. For Hari - the lower down you are in the scale, the more likely you are to become depressed. This, Hari argues, is due to lack of control. The less control we have in our lives, the more depressed we are likely to be. Afterall, no one wants to feel like they can't get out of bed on a Monday morning for fear of the working day ahead.

At Harley Therapy, the UK’s leading online therapy platform, we practice what we preach. Our staff are happy, motivated, valued and emotionally resilient. We promote flat hierarchies, flexible working and an environment of empowerment and positivity.

It is becoming common knowledge that 70 million days are lost from work each year, costing the UK economy £70-100 billion each year due to poor mental health.

Research by Mind shows that 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. This year Mind also delivered a major study into workplace wellbeing, revealing poor mental health at work is widespread, with half (48 per cent) of all people surveyed saying they have experienced a mental health problem in their current job.

The survey of more than 44,000 employees revealed only half of those who had experienced poor mental health had talked to their employer about it, suggesting that as many as one in four UK workers is struggling in silence.

The intrinsic link between employee mental wellbeing and business productivity is plain to see.

This year, Investors in People published an array of alarming statistics concerning employee mental health. Just 36% of UK workers say their workplace supports mental wellbeing. 40% of workers would trust their manager with a mental health concern, 35% have considered leaving their current job due to stress, 59% of employees said that work has impacted their mental health at some point in their career and 78% of workers feel less productive when stressed at work.

Your workforce is your most valuable asset. Each one of them is a complex and unique individual with differing levels of emotional resilience. If we were to ask you: ‘who are your most punctual employees?’, you would be able to answer, we’re sure – yet if we asked: ‘who are your most resilient employees?’, the answer might feel more elusive.

An emotionally resilient workforce is present, motivated and working towards common, clear goals.

We work with organisations such as ITV and Diesel to help embed new cultures of emotional wellbeing across the workplace at an individual, collective and organisational level.

We believe emotional resilience leads to heightened employee performance and engagement. Having treated over 20,000 clients since 2006, we are experts in what makes people tick, transform and triumph.

Our innovative solutions include: annual emotional resilience check-ins, pre-emptive and crisis point therapy for issues including depression, anxiety or grief. Plus assistance in allowing staff to open up about problems and coaching to enhance both work and personal performance.

The benefits are wide ranging and employers can expect to see improved staff retention, suicide risk reduction and improved talent acquisition. Employees can benefit from increased emotional resilience, empowerment to open up emotionally and reduced stigma. Not to mention an increased sense of self worth that contributes to happiness both at work and at home.

Email [email protected] to find out about how we can support your workplace.