5 Ways Removalists Can Promote The Mental Health Of Their Workforce

One thing that has become apparent over the past few years is many people, including those in employment, suffer from mental health problems. This applies to those working within the removalists industry as it does any other business sector. Now, when the words “mental health” are used, there are those who assume it means some kind of severe mental ailment that a person has been born with, however, nothing could be further from the truth.

Mental health problems can be short, medium, or long term, and they can be related to a single issue or several. The other crucially important aspect of mental health is that the vast majority of issues often have no visible symptoms. In other words, unlike physical issues such as a broken arm in a sling which is clearly visible, someone suffering from anxiety, depression, a phobia, or any other mental health problem, may outwardly appear to be perfectly healthy.

This is why employers, including yourself if you own a removalists business such as Brilliance Removalists Melbourne, need to ensure that structures are in place that can help promote employees’ mental health. Anything you do to implement this goal which costs money, should not be seen as a cost, but instead an investment in your employees, and as such an investment in your business. Here are 5 ways these aims can be achieved.

Redesign Your Working Practices

This starts by encouraging your staff to speak to you for you to listen to what aspects of how they currently work is putting a strain on their mental well-being or that of their colleagues. From their ideas, you can then implement changes to your working practices. Provided they do not negatively impact your day-to-day operations you could switch to flexible working hours, job shares, reducing individual workloads, and anything else which you think would help.

Support Mental Well-Being

Beyond the practicalities of how your staff fulfil their roles, you should also be actively seeking ways that can support their mental health and mental resilience. This could range from something as simple as arranging discounts for a local gym membership to having experts within various fields of mental health made available for staff. This could include training sessions, one-to-one counselling, and go as far as funding therapy for those who need it.

Improve The Workplace Culture

There is strong evidence to suggest that one of the primary reasons for someone’s mental health being at risk, is the culture that exists within their workplace. A culture that has mental health at its core must come from the top, which is you if you own a removalists business. Create a mental health policy, encourage staff to be open with each other, and ensure all staff know there is zero tolerance of negative activities such as bullying and shaming.

Seek To Increase Your Workforce’s Awareness Of Mental Health

Some say “Ignorance Is Bliss” but that is certainly not the case in the workplace on matters of mental health, and in particular amongst your employees. Mental health awareness should be one of the core elements of induction training and throughout an employee’s time with your removalists business. Mental awareness programs, events such as “RU OK?”, and simple policies promoting open talk of mental health, are all valid options.

Fully Support Staff Suffering From Mental Health Problems

Despite everyone’s best efforts, including your own, there may still be members of your removalists staff who succumb to some form of mental illness. Hopefully, it will be short term, but whether it is or not, as their employer it is in their best interests, and yours, to support them as much as you can towards their recovery. Modifying their duties, funding mental health insurance, and providing paid sick leave, are just some of the ways your support can manifest itself.