_Making work a better place: Tackling workplace mental health through Biophilia

Forward-thinking organisations which are providing their employees with these links to nature through their working environment are often recognised as having an advantage over those which don’t. 

There is a crucial link between biophilia and good mental health at work that I didn’t have time to explore properly in my previous article.

If employees feel at ease with, or are inspired by, their working environment, they are likely to be more productive. 20 years ago, had I written this, there would have been a sceptical reaction from employers. Now mental health provision at work is at the top of the business agenda.

And here’s why. One in six people of working age will experience mental ill health including depression, anxiety or issues relating to stress.

With over 28 million people in work in England, this represents nearly 5 million people. Mental health issues are also estimated to cost the UK economy almost £35 billion every year and 15.4 million working days are lost to work-related stress, depression or anxiety.

The impact of neglecting mental ill health in the workplace is two-fold: both an economic and human cost which we have the opportunity to alleviate.

Workplace mental health issues cost the UK economy a huge sum of money in terms of lost production, absenteeism and work inefficiencies.

By investing in the physical and mental health of their staff, employers will not only unlock human potential in the workplace but reduce astronomical costs to the economy.

It is imperative the Government takes notice of UK employers and the public who are standing up and calling for mental health to be regarded as important as physical health.

One of the standard bearers for mental wellbeing in the workplace in Yorkshire is Jodie Hill, the managing director of Leeds law firm Thrive. Jodie is a vocal campaigner for raising awareness of the importance of mental health at work and has launched a nationwide petition calling for every workplace to have a mental health first aider on site. It has proved extremely successful.

Jodie says: “As a solicitor of quite a number of years standing, and having worked in several niche practices during my career so far, I have seen at first hand the problems that working in a stressful environment can cause.

"And I’m not talking about colleagues shouting at each other, or storming off when they don’t receive an immediate answer to their technical legal questions.

"What I’m referring to are the more subtle nuances in changed behaviour that a highly stressed and potentially toxic environment can instil. Issues such as dreading going into the workplace, or perhaps even feelings of worthlessness in meetings. Or maybe anxiety when carrying out your day to day tasks within the office.

"And of course, it’s worth remembering that there are some pretty alarming statistics surrounding the incidence of mental health matters in the United Kingdom. 

“According to the Mental Health Charity MIND, almost eight people out of every 100 suffer from mixed anxiety and depression, while 20 people in every 100 harbour suicidal thoughts. 

"The fact remains that workplace mental health issues cost the UK economy a huge sum of money in terms of lost production, absenteeism and work inefficiencies.

“And, moreover, it means - by implication - that much talent is lost from the commercial environment. Even worse, skilled, socially gifted people are affected by workplace mental health issues, and those worries, concerns, anxieties and traumas are then brought back into their home lives. In other words, it affects people in their personal lives, as well as at work.

“Of course, if this was a physical illness or complaint, and it happened to be causing absenteeism and diminished performance, it would be treated with the utmost seriousness.

"And yet, because it relates to mental health, the issue is generally swept under the carpet by most business and certainly by many law firms. In the traditional parlance, it’s simply something that’s not talked about. This means that, in practice, mental health has been and remains the very poor relation to physical pain, injury and suffering. 

“Whilst we haven’t changed the law yet, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently updated their guidelines to include mental health and mental health first aiders for the first time and that change is imminent. Businesses need to prepare for the change and should be looking to lead the way, not waiting to be told by a change in the law 

“So, my call to all commercial organisations is this: Please treat mental health with at least the same priority, sense of urgency and importance as physical illness. By doing so, you will engender trust, positive engagement and, of course, a happier, more loyal workforce,” she added.

We should all heed Jodie’s call. The days of angry managers telling depressed or anxious staff to “shut up and get on with it” are gone.

As firms strive to create the perfect physical working environment, they should never forget about their employees’ mental health. It’s in everyone’s interests they do so.

Eamon Fox is Partner and Head of Office Agency at Knight Frank in Leeds.