“It is no surprise that one in three younger workers have taken sick days because of mental health issues triggered by stress, as work-related stress, depression and anxiety have shown signs of increasing since the pandemic.
“One of the most effective ways to improve mental health among all employees including young workers, is to establish an organisational culture that supports wellbeing. This goes beyond a set of wellbeing initiatives – organisations need to make wellbeing integral to their business plans by creating a wellbeing strategy and plan. However, Brightmine data reveals that less than a third (31%) of respondents in the UK indicated their organisation has a documented wellbeing strategy.
“Psychological safety is a critical factor in supporting mental wellbeing. Giving young workers space to voice concerns, ask questions, speak up, and make mistakes without fear of punishment or humiliation can benefit mental health by helping them to feel safe and respected at work and understand that their contribution is valued.
“In addition to creating a culture of psychological safety, businesses should take a proactive approach to wellbeing, to help avoid and manage stress before it becomes detrimental to individuals and the organisation. This should include managing workloads, fostering positive work environments and clearly defining roles and goals. Giving line managers training on how to identify and spot the signs or differences when a young worker, or indeed any of their employees are struggling with their mental health means they can see these changes in real time and support them as appropriate. In addition, encouraging employees to come to them with problems can make a real difference.
“Prioritising wellbeing not only helps to boost engagement but puts employees' mental health at the heart of the organisation, supporting employees and helping to retain top talent.”
