Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy

 

This policy applies to all colleagues (whether employed on a full-time, part-time, fixed term or permanent basis), as well as agency staff and contractors.

This policy does not form part of any colleague’s contract of employment and we may amend it at any time. 

 

 

Society Policies and Wellbeing

 

The Society is committed to creating a workplace that embraces flexibility, giving colleagues the best opportunities to manage their time and commitments and support a healthy and happy work life. Therefore, this policy should be read in conjunction with several other Society policies and procedures, including but not limited to:

 

Flexible Working Policy Special Leave Policy Respect in the Workplace Policy Smoke Free Workplace Policy

Diversity and Inclusion Policy Alcohol and Drugs Policy Managing Attendance Policy

 

Definitions

 

Mental Health is a term to describe our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing; it affects how we think, feel and act and how we cope with the normal pressures of everyday life. Positive mental health is rarely an absolute state since factors inside and outside work affect mental health, meaning we move on a spectrum that ranges from being in good to poor mental health.

Stress is the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or demands placed on them. Stress is not an illness, but sustained over a period, it can lead to mental and/or physical illness.

Pressures outside the workplace, whether the result of unexpected or traumatic events such as accidents, bereavement, family breakdown or financial worries, can result in stress or poor mental health. They can also compound normal workplace pressures.

The Society recognises that individuals react to similar situations in different ways and that what triggers stress and poor mental health varies from person to person.

 

 

Responsibilities

 

All colleagues (including managers) should:

 

• Take reasonable care of their own mental health and wellbeing and the wellbeing of their colleagues.

• Speak to their line manager in the first instance so that appropriate signposting and support can be put in place. If colleagues don’t feel comfortable speaking to their line manager, the Society operates an open-door policy and encourages colleagues to speak to any manager they feel comfortable speaking to or the HR advisor for your business area.

• Talking about your feelings can help maintain a colleague’s mental health, colleagues are encouraged to identify someone they feel comfortable with and who will be supportive.

• Take advantage of the support measures available, including making use of the employee assistance programme and engage in any wellbeing initiatives run by the Society.

• Help the Society combat stigma and discrimination by:

  • Not labelling people who are mentally unwell

  • Not be afraid of people who may have a mental illness

  • Not using disrespectful terms for people with mental ill-health

  • Do not be insensitive to people with mental illness or blame them

  • Being a role model for promoting better mental health

All managers have a responsibility to recognise potential issues of mental ill-health, work related stress and the overall wellbeing of the colleagues they manage.

 

Managers should:

• Be familiar with and treat colleagues fairly and consistently in accordance with this policy and other Society policies likely to affect wellbeing.

• Encourage colleagues to engage in wellbeing initiatives run by the Society.

• Be familiar with colleague support services and contact the relevant HR advisor for support and assistance.

• Ensure that all colleagues receive induction, training and development for their job role and, through the colleague review process, receive regular feedback on their progress at work.

• Always operate an open-door policy and encourage colleagues to raise any concerns at any time, and not wait for the colleague review process.

• Make reasonable adjustments in the workplace following advice from the HR advisor in line with the Equality Act 2010. For more support on making reasonable adjustments in the workplace please refer to the Wellbeing Passport Guidance Document.

Information about mental health and wellbeing is highly sensitive, therefore all colleagues and managers are responsible for respecting the high level of confidentiality that is required when supporting a colleague.

 

 

Support Services

 

We have several services in place to assist colleagues who may be suffering from stress or poor mental health, which all colleagues are encouraged to access if they ever feel they need support or assistance.

Where it is thought that a colleague’s wellbeing has been affected by bullying or harassment, the procedure set out in the Respect in the Workplace Policy will be followed.

If colleagues are absent due to work related stress or mental ill health, they should follow the reporting procedure set out in the Managing Attendance Policy.

• Mental Health Champions – A mental health champion is someone a colleague can call, email, or have a coffee with to quite simply, have a chat. Mental health champions provide peer support to colleagues and signpost people to the relevant support and help where appropriate.

• i.Learn -The Society has a dedicated wellbeing area in i. Learn where colleagues can enrol in short courses to assist colleagues in recognising and coping with stress and taking care of their mental health.

• Colleague Check-ins – Colleagues and managers can request time to discuss a colleague’s goals and expectations, Wellbeing, Career or Development.

• Pulse Surveys – Every four weeks the Society send out a survey on Colleagues Connect to give us honest and anonymous feedback.

• Mental health and Wellbeing Playlist and Podcasts – We have a playlist on YouTube with some inspirational stories and there are also links to a range of podcasts to help improve mental health and wellbeing on the colleague connect page.

• Employee assistance programme (EAP) – colleagues can talk to a professional in complete confidence by calling 08088 021 122.  A live webchat is also available here. There are also dedicated support resources available on www.groceryaid.org.uk including but not limited to the following:

  • Financial help

  • Emotional support and advice

  • Health and wellbeing support

  • Money benefits and debt

  • Workplace critical incident support

  • Work and career related issues

  • Legal and advice

  • Coping with disabilities and long-term conditions

• Everymind Support App – Colleagues can download the your mental health app by Everymind (App Store/Google Play), which provides colleagues with an individual experiences, tailored to their needs, to help educate and empower colleagues to focus on self-care with a range of services offers:

  • Anonymous support 24/7

  • Weekly coping strategies and content

  • Self-tracking feature and management of mental wellbeing

  • Live monthly free webinars where experts share their knowledge with an opportunity for questions

For more information on downloading the app, visit the dedicated mental health support app colleagues connect page.

• Wellbeing Passport– the wellbeing passport aims to support colleagues who may need some additional support at work. The passport contains details of conversations between a colleague and their line manager about the additional support needed and the workplace adjustments agreed, ensuring that the colleague can work to their full potential within a positive and supportive environment.

• Occupational Health Provider - Health Partners– Where there are concerns that work could be affecting a colleague’s health or that a health problem could be affecting a colleague’s ability to do their job, a referral will be made to occupational health for advice and assistance in managing such concerns effectively. Occupational health can provide specialist advice on work-related stress and wellbeing, support colleagues who have been off work and advise on return to work plans, they can also make referrals for additional support for the colleague.

• Dedicated Health Guides – The Society has access to regular health awareness information regarding various medical conditions.  Colleagues can access this on the dedicated mental health and wellbeing colleagues connect page.

• Help and information can also be obtained from Mind, the mental health charity, www.mind.org.uk, telephone 0300 123 3393, or they have a text service: text MIND to 86463.

The Samaritans also offer a dedicated 24hour support service by phone (116 123, in person (at their local branches, by email or letter. Visit www.samaritans.org.

 

 

Supporting our Managers

 

The role of line managers in colleague well-being is vital. They are often the first port of call for a colleague needing help and are most likely to see warning signs of poor mental health among colleagues. 

To help managers effectively and confidently support their team’s mental health and wellbeing, there are dedicated resources on the Managers Guide area on colleagues connect.  Managers should also seek support from the HR advisor for their business group or a Society mental health first aider in managing colleague mental health and wellbeing.

The Society also appreciates managers may too feel their wellbeing or mental health has been affected and this should not be ignored. Managers should too follow the guidelines set out in this policy and engage with the support services and any wellbeing initiatives run by the Society. Managers should speak with their line manager where possible in the first instance so that appropriate support can be put in place. If managers are open about how they feel in the workplace, it might encourage others to do the same. 

 

 

 

Policy name:	Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy	Date of last review:	September 2022
Policy owner:	HR	Issue number:	002