MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK MANAGERS NOT TRAINED TO MANAGE MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE
Thursday 16 May 2019CMI research shows the majority of managers are now having to manage staff with mental health problems, but only half have been trained on managing mental health in the workplace
A recent survey by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) of 940 managers across the UK showed that over half (51%) of managers have had a member of staff disclose a mental health problem.
Managers are having to manage a wide range of mental health problems. This includes more common mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and stress - as well as less common problems such as eating disorders, bipolar and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Line managers play a pivotal role in supporting employee health and wellbeing, and should be a key source of advice and support for those suffering with mental health problems at work. However, the same survey found that around half of all managers (49%) had never received any training on managing mental health in the workplace.
The lack of training was most apparent with older, senior managers. 51% of senior managers had never received training on managing mental health in the workplace, compared to 44% of junior managers. And 52% of older managers (over 50) had never received training, compared to 42% of younger managers (18-29).
CMI CEO, Ann Francke, said:
Line managers play an absolutely critical role in supporting employees’ mental health and wellbeing. But they need to be equipped and empowered to do so. The latest CMI survey shows that in too many cases managers are not receiving the training they need to be effective in supporting their teams.
This Mental Health Awareness Week, I call on all managers to consider how they can best show that they are available to talk to any members of staff who may need it
Notes to editors
The Manager's Voice is a survey undertaken by CMI of their practising members. Fieldwork was undertaken between 6th November and 4th December 2018 and 940 UK-based members responded. Senior leaders refer to CEOs, Managing Partners, Directors and Senior Managers.
CMI’s 2016 Quality of Working Life report found that improving health and wellbeing in the workplace may need dedicated action across the organisation to change the culture and reshape negative attitudes. CMI recommended:
- Tackle taboos – Start conversations and provide information that makes it easier to ask for help.
- Engage managers – managers can have a direct impact on the motivation, engagement and ultimately on the wellbeing levels of the people they work with. They need to be informed and engaged on quality of working life and wellbeing issues. Don’t leave it to HR.
- Understanding personal management styles – Provide management and leadership development that helps managers to reflect on their own behaviours and the impact of their actions.
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The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) is the only chartered professional body for management and leadership, dedicated to improving managers' skills and growing the number of qualified managers.
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