Ward’s world

Supporting MENTAL WELLNESS

Supporting employees’ mental health is becoming an increasingly important part of being a good employer. Hellen Ward explores where the responsibility lies, how salon owners can recognise when someone needs help, and the third-party support available to them and their teams

Awareness about mental health has increased so much in recent years; and all to the good. But it’s increasingly becoming an issue that concerns employers, especially employers of young people. In fact, so much so, I’ve written about it already recently in this very column, yet I find myself compelled to explore it further.

Being a good boss means offering pastoral care as well as managing performance. Yet very few of us are proficient enough to deliver this in a professional capacity despite the best of intentions. Limited experience in this very specialist field is not often the norm amongst salon owners. It’s difficult to know how to help someone if you don’t have sufficient expertise.

More importantly, how do you read the signs? We can work with people day-in, day-out and be oblivious to what’s happening in their personal life. Here’s where the generation gap comes in, too. Gen X, and to a lesser extent millennials, are traditionally less inclined to flag issues with their mental health, whereas Gen Z are far more used to talking about it and I find, more open to mentioning when they need support.

Navigating your responsibilities

The increasing burden of legislation employers face under the Employment Rights Act seems to be ongoing as it continues to be rolled out. Key changes came into force in April of this year, with more being implemented this month and again in January 27. The onus of keeping on top of these changes is firmly with the employer. As a sector mainly comprised of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) this is a huge responsibility for salon owners. Many, like me, feel they have no alternative but to outsource their HR to help ensure they are compliant. I may be well versed in Employment Law but I don’t have the time or expertise to ensure I am on top of the contractual amendments required.

I was amazingly grateful to Tracy from Central Training who shared details of a website with me recently – able-futures.co. uk provides complementary mental health support for employees and apprentices. The only criteria are that any issues being faced are affecting the person’s work. The service is also available in the devolved nations for apprenticeship providers to support their apprentices. They provide nine months’ confidential, no-cost advice, guidance and support from mental health professionals to help individuals cope with work while they manage a mental health condition such as anxiety, depression or stress.

Clear support

Before I’d heard about AbleFutures I was already exploring how we could support employees who were struggling with such issues. Luckily, we have a senior team member who recognised there was a gap to be bridged between our young team of trainees and the official senior leadership team to enable our employees to discuss their mental health and get some coaching and guidance. Fortunately for me, Denise offered her services. She has a wealth of knowledge from personal experience and has used this to develop the coping mechanisms she advocates to support our team.

Without her expertise we would have a gaping hole in the pastoral care we offer as a company.

When Denise and I explored this, she offered me a discovery session so I could see how the programme she’d formulated worked. I am lucky enough not to suffer with mental health issues, but I got a huge amount out of exploring my personality type and my work-life balance and how both were affecting my wellbeing. I found the whole experience not only profound, but invaluable.

Language considerations

When we launched the programme to the wider team, I had one condition. I didn’t want to get stuck using the wrong terminology. So many people use the term incorrectly – “they’ve got mental health” is not only misleading but grammatically incorrect. Everybody has mental health – it’s whether a person has issues or concerns with it that matters. I preferred to keep it positive and call it mental fitness or wellness rather than focusing on any negatives.

One thing is for sure; the world is a very different place than when we opened our business 33 years ago. It’s hardly surprising people need more support nowadays and talking about how you are feeling has far less stigma attached to it than years ago. I do worry that more responsibility will fall to employers, which is why I flag what support is out there to utilise. If you are a salon owner, please share the link to your teams and use the help that is there for you and your staff. We all go through the rollercoaster of ups and downs that is life, so knowing there is help available if people need it is something we need to shout about.

I don’t think any of our team members expect us to be experts in dealing with mental health issues that are affecting their work, but being able to offer guidance and support from a third party at least shows that we care. And that’s what matters.

Hellen Ward is managing director of Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa in London, vice president of The Hair & Beauty Charity and co-founder of Salon Employers Association (SEA).