Pre Covid 19 – it was estimated that nearly 70 million days were lost each year to staff absence caused by stress, depression and anxiety – costing the UK economy in excess of £70 billion per year.
Given the measures the Government has taken recently – lockdowns, work from home, furlough, social distancing – it seems that the mental health impact upon employees in all sectors has been potentially brutal and remains long lasting. Around 1 in 5 (21%) adults experienced some form of depression in early 2021; this is more than double that observed before the pandemic (10%) (ONS).
With the ongoing impact of COVID-19 yet to be fully understood by business leaders, utilising training to ensure staff have adequate support for their mental health and wellbeing would seem both time critical and of vital importance. 60% of employees say they’d feel more motivated and likely to recommend their organisation as a good place to work if positive action was taken to support mental health and wellbeing.
Investing in a fully supportive and comprehensive mental health support network for staff can also help to reduce staff turnover, sickness absence and presenteeism – a cost in underperformance estimated at around £605 per employee.
At Weymouth College we work closely with Public Health Dorset – as a preferred training provider – to deliver Mental Health First Aid for Adults to a wide range of businesses and employers across Dorset, and will be adding Mental Health First Aid for Youth to our training portfolio in the coming weeks.
We have a team of 16+ trained Mental Health First Aiders onsite to listen to, reassure and support staff and adult learners across campus and we provide our staff with an accessible programme of wellbeing days, free fitness activities and supportive mental health and wellbeing newsletters.
Talk to us if you would like to find out more about Mental Health First Aid training at Weymouth College.
Visit: www.weymouth.ac.uk/employerservices/
This article is featured in the July edition of the Dorset Business Focus magazine. Read on the online version here.