The work of HR professionals comes with a host of unique challenges, from carrying out redundancies to restructuring teams and handling conflicts. But one of the biggest hurdles that HR teams need to overcome is helping employees with mental health issues. While they can advise or support colleagues through difficult situations like health issues or bereavement, the complexity of mental health requires a professional ear.

In a digital age, where AI and automation is becoming the norm, having human support still matters enormously. But what does it mean to have unqualified support where mental health is concerned, and how can businesses navigate this sensitive issue? In this article, we will explore the risks that come from well-meaning but ill-advised guidance and the steps businesses and HR teams can take to make sure staff are supported in the right way.

What Are the Risks With Unqualified Mental Health Guidance?

Many businesses have implemented mental health initiatives in a bid to support their staff, and while the sentiment is well-meaning, the gap between a genuine desire to help and the actual execution of these plans can put people under more stress and anxiety. This can  result in potentially harmful guidance being handed out by well-meaning HR professionals. 

Unqualified mental health guidance comes with several risks, including delayed or improper treatment, misdiagnoses and inappropriate or harmful advice that could wind up exacerbating the issues. Many of these programmes lack the necessary input from qualified counsellors, such as Klearminds, who have achieved recognition from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) for their clinical excellence and counselling. The concerning gap in accessing qualified advice can unfortunately be fuelled by many trends, such as trying to save money on mental health support to misconceptions around what’s needed in order to really help people struggling with their mental health.

A further problem is the risk of confidentiality breaches, since non-professionals may not be aware of the legal and ethical standards of privacy that qualified counsellors adhere to. This can cause problems for the individuals involved but also for the company on a broader scale. In addition to reputational damage, data protection laws mean the company could face legal action and claims for damages from employees, as well as hefty costs from court appearances and compensation payments.

Why Should Companies Invest More in Mental Health? 

So, we know that investing in proper mental health care is crucial, but what are the benefits for companies and employees alike? A 2021 study found that 79% of employees would be more likely to stay at a company if they were offered high-quality mental health resources, which can help company retention rates considerably. What’s more, investing £80 per employee in promoting wellbeing initiatives in the workplace can result in a net return of around £600 in savings from reduced absenteeism.

From an HR perspective, having mental health resources as an employee benefit makes recruitment easier. When mental health is spread throughout the company culture, potential candidates can see that they’ll be protected and cared for, which not only helps attract top talent but also improves morale within the business and results in higher productivity and quality of work.

Providing resources to ease mental health symptoms and help staff cope with conditions can also reduce the likelihood of them developing other costly health issues, like heart disease, substance abuse problems or even cancer. This results in lower insurance and healthcare costs if the business covers these costs for their team. Lastly, for employers, providing staff with safe and reliable mental health guidance and resources means you know you’re doing right by your team. Work is a huge part of all our lives and every employer has a responsibility to know they’re treating their staff properly.

How Can Businesses Safely Support Their Employees’ Mental Health?

While there’s no instant fix for mental health struggles, there are ways that businesses can safely provide support. The first is to provide mental health days for staff, to allow staff to de-stress and recharge on days when their mental health isn’t as good. Often, having a break and a chance to rest and reset can make a huge difference to our mood.

However, the impact of these days is limited so the support shouldn’t end there. For a healthier team, the business needs to ensure that work-life boundaries are in place and balanced. Burnout is a significant problem and one that can make mental health conditions worse, so it’s critical that companies take this seriously. 

Similarly, workplace stress, especially when it’s ongoing, can snowball into bigger issues like anxiety and chronic fatigue. These conditions wind up costing businesses more in presenteeism (when staff show up to work unwell) and absenteeism, and could last weeks or months depending on the severity of the individual’s symptoms.

Mental health is a vast spectrum and can affect people differently at various stages of life. A life event that can deeply affect one person may not affect another as badly. For this reason, tailored support is critical and flexibility is needed to adapt to these different seasons of life. Offering one-to-one therapy for those who need it, or having sessions in the office with qualified counsellors periodically, can be a valuable resource for people who can’t access therapy privately.

Senior members of the team, including HR professionals, need to be fully trained to spot the signs of mental health in colleagues. As a team, you’re interacting daily with one another, so you’re in the best position to spot the signs early and act with compassion and empathy.

If providing in-house support isn’t possible, reimbursing staff for apps like Headspace or Calm can enable employees to take control of their own mental health. These apps encourage activities like mindfulness and meditation and can be an effective wellness benefit to provide staff to help them overcome conditions like anxiety, depression or work-related stress. It also shows your team that you care about their well-being which can go a long way in encouraging staff loyalty and retention.

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