Six in ten employees told the mental health charity mind that they wouldfeel more motivated, and likely torecommend their employer, if their workplaceactively supported mental wellbeing.

The story is repeated in the case of FTSE 100 companies. Those that prioritise employee engagement and wellbeing outperform their FTSE colleagues by 10%. They reap thebenefits of greater morale, productivity, commitment and innovation.

That’s because the way that work is managed influences how it affects a person’s health and wellbeing. It’s most likely to have a positive impact if managers and employees develop high levels of trust. So, how do we build those positive relationships?

• 1. Supporting leadership that encourages employees to seewhere they fit into the biggerpicture for the company.
• 2. Supporting managers who respect,develop and reward their teams.
• 3. Value consultations that raise the voiceof employees and listen to theirconcerns.

Supporting line managers

Here are a few practical ideas on how to get the best from your organisation’s line managers:

• 1. Think about whether you’ve got the right description for the job. Job design (around what a role covers and how it delivers) should be informed by employee consultation. Your staff, and their managers, know best about how the work is being done. And how to do it better.
• 2. Ensure they have had a full introduction and training on what wellbeing means in your organisation. This will allow them to share good and appropriate information with the staff that they work alongside.
• 3. Give your line managers encouragement to be role models and ambassadors for an open culture around mental health.
• 4. Have your line manager job descriptions been reviewed recently? Is wellbeing identified as a core part of their responsibilities, or is it an afterthought? Ask yourself how important wellbeing promotion is, then reflect it in how you ask people to manage their work.
• 5. Beware of the wellbeing of managers. Line managers shouldn’t be solely responsible for passing on wellbeing information – how else can you communicate? What channels might be useful? If you’re not sure, ask your staff.

We’ll spend 2019 supporting socially-responsible and thoughtful employers to make sense of a whole range of workplace ideas. We’re all about promoting better work, and better lives. Search our database for great job opportunities today.