A more meaningful approach to Mental Health at work

Mental health awareness has come a long way. But increasingly, the focus is shifting from raising awareness to taking more meaningful action that supports mental health in everyday life.

Because the reality is, mental health is not shaped by awareness campaigns alone. It is influenced by the pressures people face, the support available to them, and how they experience day-to-day life.

So, what does real action look like?

Start with everyday experience, not just awareness

One of the biggest shifts we are seeing is a growing recognition that the conditions people live and work in every day can have a significant influence on mental health.

That means asking simple but important questions:

• Are people feeling overwhelmed by the pressures they are facing?
• Do they have clarity, support and a sense of control?
• Are expectations and demands realistic and sustainable?

Increasingly, there is greater recognition that mental health is shaped by a wide range of interconnected factors, not just individual resilience or personal coping strategies.

In practice, this is leading to a move away from awareness campaigns alone and towards more practical, sustained action that addresses the factors influencing how people feel and function day to day.

There is also a growing focus on earlier, preventative action. Instead of relying only on reactive support, attention is turning to how issues can be identified sooner and addressed before they escalate.

As a result, leading organisations are starting to define and track what good looks like in practice, from increased help-seeking, to more regular manager conversations, to greater utilisation of support.

The shift is not just towards awareness, but towards sustained behaviour change embedded in everyday ways of working.

At the same time, organisations are moving away from performative wellbeing towards building genuine psychological safety - where people feel able to speak up early and access support without concern.

This is being supported by better use of data to identify real pressure points like workload, absence and attrition, allowing organisations to take more targeted and effective action.

Address the underlying causes

Assuming the right support is in place, such as access to counselling, clinical pathways or other forms of help and that they are well promoted, easy to find and that there are no barriers to access, meaningful action also requires attention to the underlying workplace factors that can affect mental health over time.

Periods of prolonged pressure can be one of the biggest challenges for mental health. Addressing this means recognising when demands have become too much and creating space to recover, rebalance and seek support.

A lack of control or uncertainty can also take its toll. Having flexibility, choice and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances can make a meaningful difference to overall wellbeing.

When done well, these changes not only reduce pressure but also support more sustainable performance and productivity over time.

The people around us also play a critical role. Feeling supported, understood and able to talk openly can have a significant impact on whether someone seeks help early or struggles in silence.

As a result, many organisations are placing greater emphasis on building manager capability - equipping them with practical tools, clear expectations and ongoing support, rather than relying on one-off training.

Supporting employee wellbeing is increasingly seen as a core leadership responsibility, not an optional extra.

Engage your first line of defense

Your line managers are critical in terms of supporting employee mental wellbeing. For them, being able to spot the signs that someone is struggling and being able to have a supportive conversation is key.

This kind of early, everyday intervention plays a critical role in preventing issues from escalating, reducing the need for more reactive support later on. Supporting managers to do this well is one of the most effective ways for a business to improve employees mental health at work.

Make support practical and accessible

It is also important to consider recovery and ongoing support. Small adjustments, realistic expectations and the right help at the right time can make a significant difference to long-term outcomes.

Alongside this, support needs to be accessible and trusted. In practice, the most valued support is often manager-led, backed up by formal services like EAPs or counselling where needed. Clear communication is essential, managers need to understand the support available and feel confident signposting employees to it.

At the same time, not all employees will feel comfortable asking for help. For these individuals, it is important that information is easy to find, clear, and consistently communicated, so support can be accessed independently.

Don’t forget the wider drivers of poor mental health

Employees often face personal challenges that are not visible at work, such as bereavement, fertility issues, unexpected health diagnoses, or changes in financial circumstances like a partner losing their job. These life events can have a significant impact on an employee’s overall health and wellbeing and their performance in the workplace.

Consider what support is in place for these difficult times, how easy is it for employees to access the support they need, is it well communicated?

Turning action into habit

The goal this mental health awareness week is not to launch more initiatives. It is to embed better ways of working that help individuals to thrive in the workplace.

That starts with getting the basics right: reducing unnecessary pressure, training your line managers, encouraging early conversations, making support easy to access, and creating environments where people feel able to ask for help.

Small, consistent changes in how work is designed and managed can have a meaningful impact over time.