Mental health is no longer a taboo subject. What was once whispered behind closed doors is now openly discussed in classrooms, over social media, at family gatherings and, most importantly, in boardrooms. This cultural shift is not only refreshing – it’s necessary. Finally, it is widely recognised that mental wellness is just as important as physical health, and ignoring one can directly impact the other.
While progress has been made, the stigma hasn’t entirely disappeared. Many people still hesitate to seek help due to fear of judgment or being labelled as “weak” or “unstable.” But the rise in public figures, athletes, and influencers speaking candidly about their struggles from depression and anxiety to burnout and trauma, is chipping away at the outdated narratives.
The modern workplace has started to recognise the toll that poor mental health can take on productivity, engagement, and morale. So, while initiatives such as Mental Health Awareness Week are valuable in reminding all of us about the importance of supporting good mental health and more generally in helping to continue to remove stigma around talking about mental health, the real work must happen consistently all year round. Here at HB, we it’s something we take seriously every day.
Our mental health is not a stand-alone aspect of us as individuals. It is affected by multiple things that happen to us and around us; in our personal lives and in our professional lives. We should not attempt to separate mental well-being at work from mental well-being at home. The old adage about leaving your personal life at the door when you come to work, is not only outdated, but unwise. We can only be the best version of ourselves, and produce our best work, if we are able to bring our whole selves into work, and that includes our mental health struggles.
Our conviction at HB that well-being and good mental health is not about a week, but about everyday life is why our Well-Being team create initiatives throughout the year to help us connect with each other and feel happier at work. It’s why we have a team of Mental Health First Aiders on hand, it’s why our People and Culture team are always ready to talk, and it’s why we recently introduced the Thrive EAP app. These are all about making space for each of us to manage our own mental health and to access support when needed.
As People leaders for HB, Charlotte and Fi have both seen significant changes in how mental health is supported in the workplace and have witnessed, heard, and helped with many different personal scenarios over their careers. We’ve been speaking to them about how attitudes to mental health have changed and their thoughts on supporting mental health at work.
What changes have you seen in mental health awareness during your HR career?
CH – Mental health wasn’t really spoken about openly when I started working. People were signed off work with anxiety or depression and it was handled as an absence issue but there were far fewer conversations ahead of people getting to the point of being signed off than there are now.
HR was expected to support people but there wasn’t really much support out there for us on how to do that, and often people didn’t want to open up due to the stigma that still existed around mental health, particularly, in Financial Services, where I started my career.
Fortunately, there is now much more openness to having conversations about the personal struggles people are facing, there are mental health first aiders in many companies, and the general level of awareness is much higher. There are now a huge number of providers offering mental health support – the choice for an HR professional now can seem overwhelming, which is a great problem to have!
FS – Mental health really wasn’t ‘a thing’ in the early days of my career, however during Covid and beyond, I’ve noticed a positive shift in the way we speak about and acknowledge mental health in the workplace. There are more conversations happening, more resources available and more openness to share our struggles, than ever before.
Why do you consider mental health support is important and how has that impacted your work at HB?
FS – Back to that BT ad, if anyone is old enough to remember, it’s good to talk. My Irish heritage would also tell you, that a problem shared is a problem halved. People shouldn’t have to struggle alone and by creating a safe space to share these topics, we can navigate and work towards solutions together. When people openly talk about their mental health, it challenges misconceptions and normalises seeking help, making it easier for others to do the same.
HR is here for the People. We want our employees to feel supported in every area of their working lives, not only with in person interactions, but via support Apps such as Thrive.
CH – It’s two-fold. One is a personal feeling; I want to see people supported because I don’t want them to struggle alone. Simply a person-to-person belief that it is the right thing to do.
Secondly, from an agency perspective, we are a people business. It has taken time and effort to build our talented team; supporting them so that they feel they can be at their best makes business sense.
Putting in place a framework of support which people can access in the way that best works for them meets both of those motivations. Securing budget to support our various mental health initiatives and broader well-being agenda has been important to me.
What is the key thing you have learnt about supporting employees with mental health struggles?
CH – Two things. Firstly, don’t assume you know what will help without asking the individual, even if that is difficult. It seems basic, but the impulse to help, can be very strong and as managers it can be tempting make a change which you firmly believe will help. Without really talking with and listening to the individual, you do not know how they will interpret your actions.
A team member who had come through a difficult time, quite correctly, pulled me up on this several years ago and shared candidly how our well-meaning actions had actually added to some of the negativity they were already feeling. This has informed my approach since, and I am grateful for that insight.
Secondly, that the path to good mental health is not a straight line. Sometimes you feel (from the outside) that someone who has been struggling is making good progress but then their speed of recovery to positive mental health can slow or even double back on itself. It can feel like watching a game of snakes and ladders, and landing on a snake can be sudden and unexpected. As supporters of those around us, we have to be alert to this and ready to continue our support whenever it is needed, regardless of the journey to that point.
FS – Always make yourself available. I never want to be seen as too busy to talk to, too busy to acknowledge the person struggling, too busy to help navigate an issue. I work hard at HB to build the persona/profile as the ‘go to’. You can ‘bother me’ with anything night or day. I’m here for you and I will pause for you. Communication is everything and making mental health a consistent part of our routine, rather than an emergency measure, is key to long-term well-being and honest conversations about mental health that often lead to stronger, more authentic relationships by fostering trust and vulnerability.
What are you most proud of at HB with supporting mental health?
FS – At the beginning of the year, Charlotte and I worked collaboratively to update and rejuvenate our benefits programme. At the time we both acknowledged the need for an enhanced EAP programme to better suit our people. It took months of conversations and a ton of research to find the right partner, but it was almost an epiphany moment when we found ‘the one’. Since launch day we’ve had so much positive feedback, and I think our employees can really see and ‘feel’ the investment.
CH – On a personal level, it’s the little moments that make me proud; the conversation that ends with someone saying “I feel better for having spoken to you”, the manager who reaches out because they genuinely care about the people around them, the fact that in our recent well-being survey every single respondent reported that they felt supported by the HB team in respect of their well-being.
On an agency level, I am proud of the depth of care that exists here for each of our people as individuals. For obvious reasons, a lot of this goes on behind the scenes, but I recognise it and feel proud of our people, from the top down, for the compassion they show day after day. And I know that isn’t the same experience in all companies.
Conclusion
We’ve come a long way in how we think about and care for our mental health. From taboo to technology-driven care, the evolution is ongoing and is full of promise and hope. But as resources expand, so should our commitment to using them regularly, not just reactively.
Mental wellness should be nurtured constantly and not taken for granted. Preventive mental health care such as regular therapy, journaling, stress management techniques, building emotional resilience and simply sharing your struggles can help you stay grounded and better equipped to handle life’s inevitable challenges. And if those challenges do threaten to overwhelm you, reach out. Support is there, particularly in organisations like HB, but no-one can help if they don’t know you are struggling.