How can people managers support employee mental health and performance?

People managers can have a huge impact on the success of their teams.

For almost 70% of people, their manager has more impact on their mental health than their therapist or their doctor – and it’s equal to their partner (1).

People managers are instrumental in fostering workplace wellbeing and performance, so they need to have the tools, time, and training necessary to support their teams' mental health.

Supporting employee mental health is more vital than ever: CIPD reported that 63% of long-term workplace absences were due to mental ill health, the highest in more than a decade (2)

With staff reporting growing levels of work-related burnout and stress (3), managers are under more pressure than ever

However, most managers feel they do not have the skills to support mental health and performance effectively. Over a third of managers (33%)reported feeling out of their depth supporting their team with mental health concerns (4).

Mental Health First Aid England®’s new people manager course can help to bridge this gap.

Supporting Team Mental Health and Performance course

Supporting employee mental health and driving team performance go hand in hand.

Our new course is designed for people managers who want to better understand mental health, its relationship with performance, and learn how to cultivate a psychologically safe environment to support their teams.

““I feel I have come away with the skills and confidence to better support my team’s mental health and overall wellness” - Jo, People partner

Delivered by our team of workplace mental health experts, the course provides practical strategies to help managers:

Confidently approach and hold effective conversations about mental health and performance

Create personalised workplace plans that help employees thrive

Gain practicable knowledge and understanding of mental health, legislation, confidentiality, occupational health, and reasonable adjustments

Create a psychologically safe working environment

Support their own wellbeing while leading others

Find out more about training for people managers

Benefits for organisations

Investing in mental health training doesn't only benefit employees. Research from Deloitte has found that poor mental health across the UK workforce can cost employers around £51 billion annually (5).

For every £1 invested in supporting employees' mental health and the wellbeing of their workforce, businesses see an average return of £4.70 in increased productivity (5).

By prioritising mental health, organisations can help ensure that both employees and employers thrive by: