The Retailer Winter edition_2020

workforce

Tackling mental health problems in the retail workforce

MIKE JACOBS CLIENT DIRECTOR, RETAIL PRACTICE aon

MANIE VILJON PRINCIPAL STRATEGIC CONSULTANT HEALTH SOLUTIONS aon

WHY SHARPENING THE FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH WILL PAY DIVIDENDS FOR RETAILERS The importance of good mental health is becoming a more important topic in organisations in the UK. Factors such as money and debt, divorce and separation, bullying, health issues and loneliness, can all have an adverse impact on an individual’s mental health. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) there are over 600 million people globally suffering from mental health issues such as depression and/or anxiety. In the workforce, the knock -on effects of mental health problems are becoming more pronounced; the WHO estimates that depression will be the world’s most common illness by 2030, with over 12 billion working days lost annually. For retailers, where employees are on the ‘front line’, often facing physical and verbal abuse from customers – a recent Co-op report ‘Safer colleagues safer communities’ found that violence in the retail sector has reached ‘unprecedented levels’ – tackling mental health in the retail workforce faces a number of particular challenges. These range from the multi-locational nature of most businesses (e.g. distribution centres), the size and transient nature of the workforce (workers whose first language often isn’t English), low pay, long hours and the lack of clinical options for treating mental health issues beyond those provided by the NHS. But there are steps that retailers can take, supported at the top level, to help their workforce including the development of a definition of wellbeing within the organisation, putting in place a strategic mental health framework, and implementing measures to prevent, detect, treat, and support mental health issues; creating a culture where “it’s OK not to be OK”. Mental health defined The WHO defines ‘good’ mental health as a ‘state of well- being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.’ The modern worker is however vulnerable to an ‘always on’ technology shaped culture that has, along with other factors, driven up levels of anxiety, depression and reduced levels of mental health. Research from mental health charity Mind reveals that nearly half (48%) of workers are experiencing poor mental health in their current job and only half of those feel able to talk to their employer about their problem. The consequences of this for the retail sector range from increased absenteeism to lower employee engagement and higher staff turnover. As well as the potential impact to brand and reputation, all of this translates into a hit on the bottom line with some estimates putting the annual cost of poor mental health for retailers at between £777 and £989 per person per year. Given the scale of the problem, how can retailers go about tackling the issue?

Emerging from the shadows The positive news is that the importance of tackling mental health problems at work has emerged from the shadows and there is now a growing awareness of the need to remove the stigma once attached to those suffering from a mental health issue. In this more open culture, there is an opportunity for retail organisations to address mental health problems more effectively without incurring significant costs. An effective framework Having a mental health framework in place to help map the direction of travel is critical. An effective framework should include measures to raise employee awareness through making information, tools and support available; an encouragement of open conversations about mental health during the recruitment process and throughout the employee’s career with an organisation; the provision of good working conditions and a focus on a healthy work/life balance; training for managers to ensure that all employees are able to have regular conversations about their health and wellbeing; and, effective routine monitoring of employee mental health and wellbeing. Good communication is a challenge particularly in a retail workforce where many employees might not have access to corporate email or an intranet. But it is important to get people feeling comfortable talking about mental health. It’s also vital that line managers play their role within the framework and enabling them to become mental health champions in the workplace is key – only 25% of managers in the UK currently have some form of mental health training and this needs to be addressed. Make use of existing resources As part of the focus on mental health, there are often resources that employers can draw on such as their occupational health provision. If they have an income protection plan as part of their employee benefits package, the insurer will often also offer some form of proactive mental health education and support. Employee Assistance Programmes can be effective in offering 24/7 employee support and are a cost-effective solution available to organisations of all sizes. In addition, there are publicly available resources available from the NHS through GPs and initiatives like Every Mind Matters. Another option is to partner with a mental health charity like Mind.

“The importance of tackling mental health problems has come out of the shadows.”

16 | winter 2020 | the retailer