How can companies create a happier culture?
20 May 2015 | Emma Bennett
There are so many experts on Happiness at Work. I'm no
specialist, I don't have any specific training on this topic - but
I have had jobs where the culture made me very unhappy.
I've lived with and recovered from a period of severe depression
& anxiety, and I now have a job that would have accommodated
for me when I was ill. So, I would like to share some things that
may have eased the difficulty during my own periods of mental
ill-health.
Having a mental health difficulty, or even just having a rough
period of unhappiness can make effective working near impossible.
Contrary to the stereotypical 'head clutcher' image, mental
ill-health is practically invisible and you almost certainly work
with someone who has or has had a hidden mental health problem of
some kind.
Most people work through these periods of illness without
disclosing it to everyone they know. I hid my struggle as much as
possible and perfected the Little Mary Sunshine persona to a fine
art.
Mental health problems affect productivity. I've always
described depression as a fog in the brain, where your mind no
longer works how it did before. Accessing your intelligent thoughts
involves wading through clouds of confusion and decision-making is
tough.
Any attempt to make your workplace a friendly environment for
people with mental health issues is good progress. A happy working
environment will almost certainly improve productivity. Any
training, awareness events or just a conversation is a positive
step in the right direction.
Here are three workplaces that appear to be getting it
right:
- Adidas Wellness International. Adidas
Headquarters in Stockport has a bespoke wellness centre run by a
team of dedicated doctors and psychologists, providing a wide range
of health and wellbeing services.
- Google Headquarters. Google says it wants to
make its employees life better and easier and that it cares about
them and their family. It provides onsite medical services, free
shuttle buses, free food, free advice, free wellness services and
more.
- Sweaty Betty. Sweaty Betty appears to have
clear values that support a happier culture: they aim to 'bring out
the best in each other', 'have a positive attitude' and 'love what
they do'. Exercising is also a great way of managing symptoms of
anxiety.
I'm not suggesting every company has the funds to provide
extensive services for their entire workforce, but here are nine
easy ideas that could help breed happiness in your workplace:
- Don't give up on people. Having a job in
general, in my experience, was a help. Without a job I would have
had no purpose at all. Lacking a purpose is a dangerous thing for
anyone's wellbeing. "Days off are so daunting that I avoid them as
much as possible. It's easier to be a cheery barmaid than spend
time with myself"
- Managers should educate themselves. Anyone who
manages or supervises others, in my opinion, has a personal
responsibility to learn about the difficulties that could be faced
by their staff. Do a first aid course, learn a few words of their
first language, find out how accessible your building is, and
research what to do when a staff member discloses their mental
illness to you. If your first reaction is to say 'Cheer up' you
could benefit from a little reading.
- Be flexible. Getting hold of a doctor's
appointment or a session with a therapist is seriously difficult.
If someone comes to you last minute and asks for an hour off, you'd
be doing them a great favour letting them go without criticism. It
will increase their productivity and happiness in the long
term.
- Put leaflets in your loos. It took 6 months
before I realised there was something wrong. Since I've been
volunteering with mental health charities I know how many leaflets,
flyers and stickers there are with information that could be
invaluable. Just get a few NHS pamphlets and put them in your
toilets. It could help someone without you really having do
anything.
- Take a break from the booze. Bowling, baking,
belly dancing… it doesn't matter; people who take medication should
try to avoid alcohol. So make sure there are alcohol-free social
activities planned too.
- Make time. People are busy, work is stressful
and there aren't enough hours in the day. I know that. However, if
you want to work in a supportive environment you need to make
one-to-one time with your colleagues. If you don't, they are very
unlikely to ever feel comfortable enough to disclose their needs to
you. If you want to be a great colleague, or a great manager, you
need to find the time.
- Give people freedom to move. Freedom of
movement within the working environment would have been the number
one cultural factor I would have asked for. Having a panic attack
or 'black out moment' as I called them, is sweaty, messy and
embarrassing. Let people could go for a little break without
question rather than having to explain every detail of their
ordeal.
- Make space. An open space for socialising, a
quiet room for reading, a couple of sofas next to the water
dispenser, a garden area, a clean kitchen stocked with teabags, a
staff room without any negative noticeboards…. Any of these things
will provide a space where people can have five minutes out of
their work day to be calm and mindful.
- Don't forget what people are like at their
best. According to Mind: "all people have the capacity to
recover from mental health problems" and one thing I always felt
was that it suddenly escaped people how productive I was when I was
well. Before my circumstances had inconvenienced them slightly, I
was running around mothering everyone and getting some seriously
good work done. If you were my best employee, broke your toe and
started limping, I wouldn't assume you were useless… I'd give you a
chair and offer to carry your bag.
So those are my simple tips. If you have any success with these
small changes then do pass them on and together we can make our
workplaces a little happier. If you would like more information on
being a mental-health friendly employer, you can find information
from Mind.
Emma Bennett works for an elearning company in
Yorkshire, High Speed Training, who provide CPD accredited
online courses in a variety of Safeguarding topics. Emma is a
volunteer coordinator and trustee for CLASSS and former volunteer
administrator and researcher for Young Lives Leeds and Voluntary
Action Leeds.
emma.bennett@highspeedtraining.co.uk
@emm_benn