Skip to main content
IOSH Magazine: Safety, Health and Wellbeing in the world of work - return to the homepage IOSH Magaazine logo
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit @ioshmagazine on Twitter
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on LinkedIn
Gender equality
Practice meets perfect
May/June 2023 issue

Main navigation

  • Home
    • Browse previous issues
    • Member accolades
    • Member tributes
  • Health
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Accident reduction
      • Behavioural safety
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Sickness absence
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Rehabilitation
      • Personal injury
      • Return to work
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Achieving Fellowship
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Professional skills
      • Qualifications
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Jobs
  • Covid-19
  • Knowledge Bank
    • Back to basics
    • Book club
    • Infographics
    • Podcast
    • Reports
    • Webinars
    • Videos
  • Products & Services
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Sickness absence
      • Accident reduction
      • Behavioural safety
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Leadership
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Qualifications
      • Professional skills
      • Achieving Fellowship
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Transport and logistics
  • Third sector
  • Retail
  • Mining and quarrying
  • Rail
  • Rehabilitation
    • Personal injury
    • Return to work
  • Utilities
  • Manufacturing and engineering
  • Construction
  • Sector: IOSH Branch
    • Sector: Northern Ireland
    • Sector: Midland
    • Sector: Merseyside
    • Sector: Manchester and North West Districts
    • Sector: Ireland East
    • Sector: Ireland
    • Sector: Edinburgh
    • Sector: Desmond-South Munster
    • Sector: Qatar
    • Sector: Oman
    • Singapore
    • Sector: South Coast
    • Sector: South Wales
    • Sector: Thames Valley
    • Sector: Tyne and Wear
    • Sector: UAE
    • Sector: West of Scotland
    • Sector: Yorkshire
  • Healthcare
  • Sector: Fire
  • Sector: Financial/general services
  • Sector: Energy
  • Education
  • Sector: Communications and media
  • Chemicals
  • Sector: Central government
  • Catering and leisure
  • Agriculture and forestry
  • Sector: Local government
  • Sector: IOSH Group
    • Sector: Financial Services
    • Sector: Sports Grounds and Events
    • Rural industries
    • Sector: railway
    • Public Services
    • Sector: Offshore
    • Sector: Hazardous Industries
    • Sector: Food and Drink
    • Sector: Fire Risk Management
    • Education
    • Construction
    • Sector: Aviation and Aerospace
Quick links:
  • Home
  • Categories
  • Topics
  • Health
  • Mental health and wellbeing
  • Mental health
Products and services

Mental health insights, Fools set stools for wise men to stumble over

Sponsored content
Open-access content Tuesday 19th March 2019
From the archive:  Just so you know, this article is more than 3 years old.

fools_set_stools-for-wise-men-to-stumble-over---image-suppled-by-ihasco

Your employee wants a bar of chocolate but they have no change. You dig into your pocket and give them a pound coin so they can grab one from the vending machine. They return with their chocolate two minutes later and explain that the vending machine gave them £4.20 change. This is the average return you can expect from every pound you invest in the mental health and wellbeing of your team.

Yet there are still far too many organisations that treat their employees' minds as an afterthought - if they consider them at all - and many remain ignorant of the financial benefits to the investment. Fools set stools for wise men to stumble over. And you could call an employer a fool if they considered the mental health of their employees to be anything less than "make it or break it" for the success of their organisation. Yet here many are, a bunch of fools... setting, ignoring and tripping over stools.

The truth of it is that poor mental health is a major contributor to sickness absence, staff turnover and presenteeism in the workplace; the combination of which costs UK businesses between £33 and £42 billion a year.

As a Mental Health First Aider in an organisation that sells Mental Health & Wellbeing eLearning, I am fortunate to be part of a community that cares. But my experience shows me that many businesses shrug off mental health; it's disposable because it's invisible. Then again, many of our clients acknowledge its importance to us but they are too uncomfortable to approach it with their staff. So once again, mental health is discarded.

There is also evidence of the matter being met with frustration and even apathy from employers. 'Mental health' and 'wellbeing' are popular phrases at the moment and as a result they are at risk of losing the sincerity of their meaning through overuse. But we need to stress that this is not a passing fad. We must keep talking about it. We must.

The organisation Mind reports that 60% of employees would be more motivated if their employers supported their wellbeing, which makes sense. Why would an employee want to give their time, energy and innovation to an organisation when their happiness is inconsequential to their employer?

Please note, you don't need to be an expert on mental health, you just need to support the initiative. If your workplace has its employees' wellbeing at its heart talent will blossom, productivity will soar, loyalty will strengthen and your company will reap the rewards. Remember, you get your £4.20 and your employee gets their chocolate bar.

Image supplied by iHASCO, www.ihasco.co.uk

This content is paid for and not an endorsement from IOSH or IOSH magazine.

You may also be interested in...

 FPA 'Building a safer future' seminar, 29 April 2019, London

Monday 25th March 2019
Back by popular demand: “Building a safer future” seminar – an opportunity to discuss the grey areas of the implementation of the Hackitt Review.
Open-access content

 Free seminars: Learn best practice on COSHH compliance and chemical safety

Tuesday 12th March 2019
Seminars from Chemdoc provide comprehensive information on COSHH legislation regarding handling and documentation of chemicals, COSHH compliance and practical information to help you work safer and more effectively.
Open-access content

 EssentialSkillz at the Health & Safety Event 2019

Thursday 28th March 2019
Established in Galway, EssentialSkillz are well-known market leaders in the Health & Safety eLearning industry. Since 2001 we have developed nearly 50 interactive and engaging eLearning courses that focus on Health & Safety and Business Protection
Open-access content

 U-Power introduces new Red-Up High-Rebound safety shoe

Monday 1st April 2019
Italian safety footwear manufacturer U-Power is proud to launch the exclusive Red-Up collection of stylish, high energy-return, work safety shoes.
Open-access content

 All eyes on health and wellbeing at work

Monday 4th March 2019
How would it make employees feel if their bosses failed to adhere to employment law and never offered any annual leave?
Open-access content

 Shawcity launch single-gas detection with Smartphone app compatibility

Thursday 4th April 2019
Shawcity are pleased to announce the addition to its range of the new Honeywell BW Solo personal single-gas detector which comes with the time-saving and convenience of smartphone-enabled management.
Open-access content
Topics
Mental health
Products and services
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Health and Safety Improvement Manager

Leeds
£35000 - £50000 per annum
Reference
5452992

SHEQ Systems Advisor

Up to £40000.00 per annum + Car Allowance
Reference
5452988

Senior Health and Safety Manager

Reading
Up to £65000.00 per annum + Great Car Allowance & Benefits
Reference
5452983
See all jobs »

Sign up for regular e-alerts

Receive the latest news and features, free to your inbox

Sign up

Subscribe to IOSH magazine

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
IOSH Covers
​
FOLLOW US
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
CONTACT US
Contact us
Tel +44 (0)20 7880 6200
​

IOSH

About IOSH
Become a member
IOSH Events
MyIOSH

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to IOSH magazine
Write for IOSH magazine

IOSH Magazine

Health
Safety
Management
Skills
IOSH Jobs

© 2023 IOSH • IOSH is not responsible for the content of external sites

ioshmagazine.com and IOSH Magazine are published by Redactive Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive Media Group Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ