Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing

Mental Health Matters in Tourism & Hospitality.

According to SAMH, at least 1 in 6 of us at work experience common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Research from See Me shows that nearly 48% of people hesitate to disclose mental health problems at work due to fear of job loss.

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In the tourism & hospitality industry, being aware of and addressing mental health is crucial. The sector is known for its high-pressure environment, long hours, and physical demands, all of which can contribute to stress and mental health issues. Providing support and resources for mental health not only helps employees lead healthier lives but also enhances productivity, reduces absenteeism, and fosters a positive work culture.

  • Hospitality Health is a Scottish charity dedicated to supporting staff in the hospitality sector, an industry that has become increasingly more stressful for hard working management and staff. In addition to resources on mental health and wellbeing, Hospitality Health offers specific resources and information on alcohol, drug abuse, gambling, resilience, bereavement, and an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).

    Visit the Hospitality Health website.

  • The Wellness Charter is a certificate from Hospitality Health that recognises a business is doing the right thing for the staff. The Wellness Charter is awarded to employers that:

    • Provide non-judgemental and    proactive support to individual staff who experience mental ill health

    • Show a positive and enabling attitude to all employees and job applicant with a mental health condition, including positive statements in local recruitment literature

    • Do not assume that a person with a mental health condition will be more vulnerable to workplace stress or take more time off than any other

    • Ensure all line managers have access to information and training about managing Offer staff access to an Employee Assistance Programme

    • Support the ambition to pay the living wage and end low pay

    • Ensure that all staff involved in recruitment and selection are briefed on mental health conditions and The Equality Act 2010 and given appropriate interview skills

    To become certified with the Wellness Charter, send an email to Hospitality Health. View more about the The Wellness Charter here.

  • SAMH is the Scottish Association for Mental Health and is a Scottish charity.

    SAMH offers a free solutions guide for employers on how to make reasonable adjustments at work for people with mental health problems.

    There is also a free guide for staff on how to be mentally healthy at work that covers the relationship between work and mental health, managing stress and difficult relationships at work, and what support is available.

    View the SAMH website here, as well as the guide for employers and guide for staff.

  • Mind is a UK-wide charity that works to improve the lives of all people with experience of mental health problems.

     It offers free business resources to help you take care of your staff, training and e-Learning, and Wellness Action Plans for managers to support the mental health of staff.

    You can access the Mind website here, and the free business resources, training and e-Learning, and Wellness Action Plans here.

  • Underpinned by Public Health Scotland, Healthy Working Lives provides workplace guidance, awards, training and resources for mental health, managing health and safety, managing ill health and absence, vehicles and driving for work, and more.

    Access the Healthy Working Lives‍ ‍here.

  • The Mental Health Foundation takes a public mental health approach to prevention, finding solutions for individuals and those at risk and for society, in order to improve everyone’s mental wellbeing.

    Access The Mental Health Foundation here.

  • A factsheet from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development focuses on wellbeing in the workplace, explaining why it matters. It outlines the domains of the wellbeing model, and looks at the role of different stakeholders in cultivating a healthy workplace.

    View the factsheet here.