New Acas guidance on employee mental health

Acas, the independent public body providing impartial advice to employers and employees, has published new guidance to help staff manage their mental health during the coronavirus pandemic, both whilst working remotely and when returning to work. The guidance follows an Acas-commissioned YouGov survey, which found that some two out of five employees working from home had experienced mental health difficulties or felt stressed or anxious due to their working situation.

To tackle staff feeling isolated during this time, Acas suggests they should be encouraged to do the following:

• talk to their manager about hours and breaks
• share how they would like to be contacted, such as having more video and phone calls
• call colleagues sometimes rather than emailing them
• arrange virtual coffee breaks with colleagues to keep in touch.

Generally, Acas advises that during the pandemic everyone, from employee to management, needs to look after their own mental wellbeing by:

• having a routine, knowing in advance what will be done each day
• staying in contact with colleagues and friends
• keeping active and exercising
• doing non-work activities.

The Government’s ongoing plans to ease lockdown measures has made some staff anxious about their safety during a return to work. Acas reminds employers that they have a duty of care towards their employees and must make sure the working environment is safe to return to. Therefore, on their return, employers should do all that they can to support the health, safety and wellbeing of their staff. This includes:

• making sure staff can work safely and healthily
• protecting staff from discrimination
• carrying out risk assessments.

Acas also asks employers to encourage positive mental health whilst at work as much as is possible. This can include:

• arranging mental health training for managers and staff
• having mental health 'champions'
• promoting existing wellbeing support, such as counselling

If employers feel overwhelmed during this time, employers should remember that trade unions or other employee representatives can also help them to promote positive mental health. This is because trade union representatives are usually trained on mental health and are therefore aware of issues that could cause problems.

Acas asks employers to consider staff who already have mental health conditions and, therefore, may need additional support during the crisis. It is important to remember that staff may need time off, or reasonable adjustments, as a result of their situations. Employers should always aim to be understanding towards their concerns and needs and be willing to offer further support if necessary. Acas accepts that it is likely the workplace will go through some changes during this period and, as a result, calls on employers to communicate to staff in a clear and calm way. Teams should have realistic targets and clear priorities and not have to pick up triple the workload because their colleagues have been furloughed or made redundant. Care must also be taken to be aware of any signs that staff are suffering from a mental health issue.