In today’s emotionally demanding work environments, it’s never been more important to prioritise mental health at work. For many social sector employers, your people are your biggest strength. They bring passion, empathy and purpose to everything they do but that same commitment can leave them vulnerable to stress, burnout and emotional fatigue.
For World Mental Health Day, we’ve focussed on mental health in the workplace and why supporting mental wellbeing is not a luxury, it’s essential to the sustainability and success of every organisation, particularly for those whose mission is to help others, and in times of global instability.
Why should mental health be a priority?
Across the UK, one in six workers experiences a mental health problem such as anxiety or depression (Mind). In the social and voluntary sector, this can be even higher, with emotionally demanding roles, limited resources, and exposure to distressing situations all contributing factors.
Without effective workplace mental health support, the results can be significant – higher sickness absence, lower morale, reduced productivity, and increased staff turnover. But when organisations take proactive steps to support mental wellbeing, the results are powerful: improved engagement, stronger relationships, and a culture where people feel valued and supported.
Prioritising mental health in the workplace in 2025
In 2025, prioritising and investing in mental health in the workplace goes beyond occasional awareness days or reactive interventions. It’s about building a consistent, supportive culture that promotes employee wellbeing in the voluntary sector every day.
For many social sector employers, this means:
- Recognising that prevention is as important as intervention
- Equipping managers to have meaningful conversations about wellbeing
- Embedding mental health policies for employers that are clear, fair, and compassionate
- Aligning wellbeing initiatives with organisational values of inclusion and respect
This shift is not only good for employees, it’s essential for organisational resilience. When staff feel safe and supported, they perform better, stay longer, and help deliver better outcomes for the communities you serve.
How to improve mental health & well-being in the workplace
Here’s our top 8 tips for improving mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, aimed specifically at smaller employers in the social sector.
1. Respond quickly and positively to staff saying that they are stressed
Stress is one of the biggest causes of poor mental health in the workplace. A supportive ear plus small changes can make a world of difference to a colleague who tells you they are feeling stressed. Let them tell you what would help and implement it if you possibly can. If you have concerns about the stress levels of your staff contact us to find out how you can support staff and access our stress risk assessment tool.
2. Encourage healthy work habits
Encourage staff to take regular breaks and use their full annual leave entitlement. Carry out Display Screen Equipment assessments for staff who regularly work on a computer. You could also consider offering flexible working arrangements, which can be advantageous to both employees and your organisation. Click here to access our free factsheet about handling flexible working requests and contact us to find out more about your legal obligations regarding rest breaks, annual leave and DSE assessments.
3. Carry out a staff satisfaction survey
Staff satisfaction surveys are a great way to find out how your staff feel about working for your organisation and can enable you to increase the engagement and wellbeing of your team. Contact us to find out more about conducting surveys, including receiving a free factsheet about staff surveys and how to access free and discounted staff surveys.
4. Promote healthy eating
Support staff to eat healthily in order to help improve their well-being. Simple ideas include encouraging staff to drink more water and substituting the office biscuits with delicious and nutritious fruit.
5. Encourage staff to be more active
Encourage staff to get up and move around where possible, you could try having a ‘standing or walking meeting’ or introduce a tax efficient ‘cycle to work’ scheme.
6. Introduce an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
EAPs are a confidential source of support to help employees deal with personal problems that might negatively impact on their performance, health and wellbeing. EAPs can be purchased from as little as £250 per year for your whole organisation. Contact us if you would like to find out more.
7. Carry out a quick employee relations healthcheck
Have a look at your organisation’s (anonymised) absence levels and reasons for absence, your turnover levels and the number of grievances and bullying and harassment complaints in order to help understand wellbeing levels in your organisation.
8. Introduce a sickness absence policy
Having a sickness absence policy is a great way of monitoring absence levels, providing support to employees and enabling the organisation to tackle the causes of absence. We can develop a sickness absence policy for your organisation. Contact us to find out more.
Taking the next step
There are many benefits of encouraging a positive work environment. Please contact Roots HR if you would like any HR advice or support.
At Roots HR, we help social sector organisations build inclusive, mentally healthy workplaces.
We can:
- Review your current mental health and wellbeing policies
- Help you embed best practice frameworks such as the Mental Health at Work Commitment
- Deliver training or resources to support managers and staff
- Provide practical HR advice on creating a supportive workplace culture
FREE specialist advice from Roots HR
You can also book your free one-hour HR consultancy session to discuss your organisation’s current wellbeing approach and receive tailored, practical guidance.
Let’s make mental health a core part of how we work. not just something we talk about once a year. Because when people feel supported, everyone thrives.
