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Making Mental Health Support Easier to Access at Work

You might have someone in your team who always seems on top of things. Reliable, focused, doing everything you would...
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Making Mental Health Support Easier to Access at Work

You might have someone in your team who always seems on top of things. Reliable, focused, doing everything you would expect. And you would never guess they were struggling.

That is part of the challenge with mental health at work, it isn’t always visible, and it’s not always easy to recognise. For many employees, it isn’t the lack of support that holds them back, it’s whether they feel safe enough to use it.

Why this matters

When employees worry about how they’ll be perceived, or whether speaking up might impact their role or progression, they are far less likely to access support. And if employees aren’t reaching out for help, there is a far greater risk of it leading to burnout and long term sick absences.

That is why the focus for employers is changing, it’s not just about having the support in place, it’s about making it:

• Visible 

• Easy to access

• Comfortable to use

• Confidential

Practical ways to improve support at work

  1. Start with what you already have
    Many organisations already offer support through employee benefits such as life insurance, EAPs or wellbeing services. The problem is often that people simply don’t know about them. Clear, regular communication can make a real difference.
  1. Make support easy to find and discreet
    Support shouldn’t feel like a big step to access. Sharing information through general communications, internal pages, or widely visible resources allows employees to access help privately, without feeling singled out.
  1. Share external support options
    Not all support needs to sit within your organisation. Making employees aware of trusted external services gives them additional, confidential options, whether these are left on notice boards, available through their benefit portal, or simple sent in an email. These options are:
    • Samaritans – Call 116 123 (24/7 support)
    • Shout – test SHOUT to 85258
    • Mind – Visit their website for workplace mental health support

Final thoughts

You don’t need to have all the answers, but you can create a workplace where support feels normal, visible and easy to access. Often, it is the small, practical steps that make the biggest difference. If you are reviewing how your organisation supports employee wellbeing, we’re always happy to share ideas and practical approaches.