The government has committed to introducing its Employment Rights Bill within 100 days of taking office. This means that we are likely to see its publication this week, possibly today, World Mental Health Day (10th October).
This year’s theme is ‘It’s time to prioritise mental health in the workplace’. We hope the Bill and any subsequent legislation does just that.
If the government implements all the measures from ‘Labour’s Plan to Make Work Pay: Delivering a New Deal for Working People’, we are likely to see some significant changes to employment law. It remains to be seen exactly what will be included in the Bill.
Some of the measures mentioned include:
- Greater rights from day one of employment to parental leave and sick pay
- Banning zero-hour contracts
- Protection from unfair dismissal
- Increased right to flexible working
- Ensuring the minimum wage is a living wage
We welcome the government’s commitment to improving the lives of working people. We also want to hear more about their commitment to supporting people experiencing poor mental health to thrive at work, and what this means in practice. This requires many things, including wider workplace and employment legislation so mental health is treated equally to physical health in the workplace.
The Labour manifesto, and King’s Speech 2024, promised to reform the NHS to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health. This must also be a priority.
Many workplaces have recognised that wellbeing and productivity go hand in hand. They have mental health strategies in place to support their people and they evaluate them and their effectiveness regularly. I suspect that many of these organisations also have policies in place to treat employees equitably, support working parents and enable flexible working. For these employers, the legislation may mean some work for HR teams to make sure policies are up to date, but little else.
For those employers, who have yet to develop their mental health and wellbeing strategy or equity, diversity and inclusion policies and practices, the Bill will mean more significant shifts.
At Mental Health First Aid England we have worked with thousands of businesses, of all shapes and sizes. Making workplaces work for everyone is our priority. These are some of the key ingredients for success if workplaces are to achieve this:
- Human connection and strong relationships are vital for wellbeing. Whether working remotely, in person, or a combination of the two, workplaces and individuals have a collective responsibility to create a sense of community and belonging
- Connection to purpose drives engagement. As well as being clear on their objectives, individuals must understand their contribution, and their team’s contributions, to the workplace’s mission, vision, values, and its success
- Psychological safety supports the creation of successful teams. This means people feeling seen, heard, and valued. Our My Whole Self campaign is about building cultures where people can be who they are without fear of prejudice – all voices are heard, and ideas, questions, or concerns are listened to, without embarrassment or retribution
People need the time, information, skills, tools, support and relationships to thrive. In turn, individuals must understand the expectations that their manager and the organisation have of them, and be clear on what they need to deliver.
MHFA England will continue to raise our voice, alongside charities, social enterprises, public and private sector organisations, to ensure that the government prioritises the mental health of the nation.
Vicki Cockman is Director of Training and Consultancy at MHFA England, which works with workplaces, no matter where they are on their mental health journey, to build cultures where mental health is prioritised, and productivity and wellbeing flourish.