Wellbeing & Mental Health Policy
1. Our reasons for introducing a mental health and emotional well-being policy statement
Many factors in the workplace influence mental well-being of individual employees, departments or organisations as a whole. Understanding and addressing the factors, which affect people’s mental well-being at work have a wide range of benefits, both for individuals and the organisation.
Mental well-being in the workplace is relevant to all employees and everyone can contribute to improved mental well-being at work.
Addressing workplace mental well-being can help strengthen positive and protective factors of employment reduce risk factors for mental ill health and improve the general health. It can also promote the employment of people who have experienced mental health problems and support them once they are in work. There needs to be a non- judgemental environment and a safe place to talk for people who are suffering with mental ill health.
This policy statement is part of a series of policies that have the desire to promote well-being and support within our company.
The mental well-being policy statement covers the following aspects of mental health and well-being and will be supported by our appointed Health and Safety Consultants and other organisations as needed.
2. Aims & Objectives
The purpose of this policy statement is for ARMA Connect to establish, promote and maintain the mental health and well-being of all staff through workplace practices and encourage staff to take responsibility for their own mental health and well- being.
To support employees to be their best at work and feel confident that when they have a period of
mental ill health they have somewhere to turn to for support and guidance.
ARMA Connect believes that the mental health and well-being of our staff is key to organisational success and sustainability.
ARMA aims to:
• Build and maintain a workplace environment and culture that supports mental health and well-being and prevents discrimination (including bullying and harassment)
• Increase employee knowledge and awareness of mental health and well-being issues and behaviours.
• Facilitate employee active participation in a range of initiatives that support mental health and well-being.
• To ensure employees also feel like they have someone who will listen when they need support.
3. Progression and Growth
ARMA aims to:
• Promote Mental Well-Being to all staff.
• Provide information and raise awareness about mental health & well-being.
• Provide opportunities for employees to look after their mental well-being.
• Promote policies and practices that promote well-being.
• Develop skills for managers and supervisors and staff.
• The company will train and appoint mental health first aiders – The company will train and appoint people to act as mental health first aiders, the number will be appropriate to our size.
4. Supporting our people
ARMA aims to:
• Make sure the job role is clearly defined and that workloads are not unreasonable.
• Encourage employees to have a say in the way they do their work.
• Provide support and training for the work required to be undertaken by the employee.
• Encourage and promote positive internal and external relations.
• Help employees to encourage staff to be able to talk openly about their job and mental health problems to report difficulties without fear of discrimination or reprisal.
• Give non-judgemental and proactive support to individual staff that experience mental health problems.
• Deal sympathetically with staff suffering from mental health problems due to circumstances outside their workplace, and who consequently find it difficult to do their jobs properly.
• Encourage staff to consult, the HR manager, their own GP, or further mental health services (If necessary)
• Treat all matter relating to the individual employees and their mental health problems in the strictest confidence and share on a ‘need to know’ basis with consent form the individual concerned.
• Not to make assumptions about any person with a mental health problem, however, will treat everyone as an individual.
5. Responsibility of employees
All employees are encouraged to:
• Understand this policy statement and seek clarification from management when required.
• Consider this policy statement while completing work- related duties and at any time while representing ARMA Connect.
• Support fellow workers in their awareness of this policy statement.
• Support and contribute to ARMA’s aim of providing a mentally healthy and supportive environment for all workers.
• Take reasonable care of their own mental health and well-being, including physical health.
• Take reasonable care that their actions do not affect the health and safety of other people in the workplace.
• Raise issues of concerns and seek help from their line manager, human resources, the company health first aiders, or contact the company Employers Assistance provider for counselling.
6. Communications
ARMA will ensure that:
• All employees receive a copy of this policy statement during the induction process.
• This policy statement is easily accessible by all members of the organisations.
• Employees are informed when a particular activity aligns with the policy statement.
• Employees are empowered to actively contribute and provide feedback to this policy statement.
• Employees are notified of all changes to this policy statement.
7. Monitoring and review
ARMA will ensure that:
• ARMA will review this policy statement twelve months after implementation and annually thereafter.
• Effectiveness of this policy statement will be assessed through:
Feedback from workers, the health and well-being committee (if applicable), and management.
• Review of the policy statement by management and committee to determine if objectives have been met and to identify barriers and enablers to ongoing policy statement implementation.
Our Wellbeing Policy (POL-033, Version 1) was last reviewed on 06/08/2024 and is next due for review on 06/08/2025.