Workplace mental health experts advise employers: Don’t Wellbeing Wash
This World Mental Health Day (10 October), Inspire is calling on employers and workplaces to back their mental health commitments through actions and not just empty claims. This is known as Wellbeing Washing.
To mark World Mental Health Day this year, Inspire is highlighting a growing trend of Wellbeing Washing, like greenwashing, whereby companies actively claim to support employees’ mental health, but reality sees them stressed, overwhelmed and burnt out.
Inspire is inviting workplaces to partner with them to implement practical, meaningful support for employees’ mental wellbeing at work.
The charity says people can become cynical when they perceive employers to be interested only in box-ticking exercises and this can damage team culture and output, curb the ability to retain talented colleagues and, ultimately, hurt the bottom line.
Inspire point out that responsible companies adopt strategic practices around wellbeing by planning and assessing existing supports and investing in creating healthy, thriving workforces, going the extra mile.
Inspire's workplace wellbeing social enterprise is here to help. Alongside the many resources available on the Inspire Support Hub for employers, Inspire offers an extensive range of training programmes on a variety of topics, including mental health awareness, lifestyle and wellbeing, leadership and management, and development and coaching. It also offers a 24-hour workplace counselling service, which is staffed by professionals, easily accessible and completely confidential.
To find out more, visit www.inspiresupporthub.org