The mental wellbeing of workers has become a key issue during the coronavirus pandemic. Whether furloughed, working from home or facing new conditions to comply with lockdown rules, many employees are finding that the uncertainty and confusion surrounding the pandemic are taking a toll on their mental wellbeing.

The number of people experiencing depression in the U.K. alone almost doubled in August from the year before, according to data from the Office for National Statistics, with one in five adults reporting symptoms of depression after months of lockdown. The figure is up from one in 10 in 2019. This has put an onus on employers to take stock of the mental wellbeing of their staff and find ways to help employees through what is, for most, a difficult time.

The mental health charity Mind warns that lockdown has been “really tough” for many people, especially those with preexisting mental health conditions. “Employers must make sure they are doing all they can to safeguard the mental well-being of their staff and put in place measures to make sure everybody’s mental health is respected and supported,” says Emma Mamo, Head of Workplace Wellbeing at Mind. “This is especially important during the pandemic.”

One of the key tools Mind has developed to promote mentally healthy workplaces is the Workplace Wellbeing Index, a benchmark of the best policies and practices for promoting positive mental health at work, which helps employers identify the key areas they need to improve. Since Mind launched the Index in 2016, some 160 U.K. employers with over 100,000 staff have taken part.

The first step for organizations participating in the Index is for managers and staff to fill out surveys, which help Mind identify the gaps between the organization’s approach to well-being and staff perceptions. Staff are asked to what degree their mental health is taken into account by the organization, whether there are avenues to discuss their mental well-being with managers and whether they feel their concerns are listened to. The surveys also ask about measures the organization takes to help staff cope with their mental health problems.

Mind subsequently provides the organization with an assessment report with recommendations of what can be improved, and it supports the organization in making improvements and can provide the help of a dedicated account manager. The final step is for Mind to give the organization an Index ranking, which gives public recognition to the company’s commitment to workplace well-being.

Each year, employers may be ranked Gold, Silver or Bronze depending on their success in addressing workplace mental health. Organizations can promote these rankings both internally and externally; alternatively, they may be ranked as working towards a ranking. Mind encourages employers to improve their performance annually, and to go from Bronze to Silver and eventually to Gold. Registration to take part in the Index 2020/21 has now closed. Registrations will open for the next cycle in spring-summer 2021. In the meantime, please review our brochure for more information.

Working toward a good ranking in the Index helps organizations improve staff relations and fulfill a legal duty of employee care, and can help retain staff. Poor mental health has an impact across the workforce, costing U.K. employers up to £45 billion ($58 billion) a year, according to an analysis by Deloitte. The research found that for every £1 employers spend on mental health interventions, they get £5 back in reduced absence, lower “presentism”—where people attend work even though they are sick—and less staff turnover. (1)

Whether taking part in the Index or not, it is clear that employers need to pay close attention to workers’ well-being during the pandemic. While some staff have been happy to work from home during lockdown and escape the daily grind of commuting and sitting in an office, others have experienced anxiety and isolation after spending months cooped up indoors. In addition, for frontline essential workers such as medical staff, watching the effects of the virus on patients over the course of months can be highly distressing.

A study of over 16,000 people by Mind carried out during lockdown shows that two-thirds of U.K. adults over 25 with an existing mental health problem—and three-quarters of those aged 13 to 24—said their mental health had gotten worse during the lockdown. Meanwhile, more than one in five adults with no previous experience of mental health problems said their mental health had become poor or very poor. (2)

As part of its campaign to address this mental health crisis, Mind has created an online coronavirus workplace hub with advice on supporting staff, managing furloughs and redundancies, team bonding and building closeness when people are not in the same workplace. (3)

The charity has also co-created a program, “Our Frontline,” that offers advice and a round-the-clock helpline for all key workers who are putting themselves at risk on the frontline against the coronavirus, encompassing all emergency workers and social carers as well as others working during the crisis, including teachers, retailers, delivery drivers and refuse collectors. Partners with Mind in Our Frontline initiative are Shout, Samaritans, Hospice UK and The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

One way employers can help staff maintain their wellbeing during the pandemic is to ask them to create a wellness action plan. Employees are encouraged to reflect on what keeps them well, such as taking walks during the day or speaking to other team members by phone, and write this into their plan; they also identify triggers that can affect their well-being. The action plan offers staff a personalized, practical guide to supporting their wellbeing, whether or not they have a mental health issue.

While forward-thinking organizations have stepped up their monitoring of employees’ mental well-being during the pandemic, others have let this slip due to the confusion created by the pandemic and changes in working patterns. Joining Mind’s Wellbeing Index is one way for U.K. companies to verify that they are taking care of the mental health of their staff during the pandemic, and beyond.

Counting the Mental Toll of the Pandemic