How can line managers ensure that employees who are out of sight are supported? David Price outlines what to bear in mind.

Managing employees’ mental health is an important issue for employers. Recent figures from A People Business show that UK businesses lose £100m every year due to work-related stress, depression and anxiety.

There is a risk that these issues could develop more frequently among staff who work remotely, who may typically find themselves separated from the same communication channels and support mechanisms that are afforded to on-site staff.

Talk about mental health early on

Before working to address the impact that mental ill health can have on staff, employers must ensure that their workforce are educated about it. Many choose to use workplace inductions as an opportunity to educate employees, ensuring new starters are made aware of their employer's approach and that they will have the organisation's support should they experience any issues in the future.

Be alert to the signs

Due to their responsibility of overseeing the work of a group of individuals, line managers often act as the first line of defence against mental ill-health at work. As such, these individuals should be trained in spotting the signs of stress, depression and anxiety, while making sure they feel confident when discussing these issues with affected employees.

Although it may be harder to spot the warning signs in remote workers due to the lack of physical interaction, managers should be alert to employees who perhaps begin to miss deadlines, or become generally less responsive, both of which could be early indicators of a mental health issue.

Keep in touch

With the above in mind, it’s important that employers stay in regular communication with remote workers in order to assess whether they are struggling with any mental health-related problems.

Holding regular calls offers an opportunity to discover how remote workers are handling current workloads, and individuals should also be invited into the office for catch-up meetings wherever possible. This will allow the cultivation of a sense of familiarity and rapport, which will make remote workers more likely to confide in their manager if they are experiencing problems.

A culture of inclusion

Cultivating a positive company culture has long been proven to reduce the occurrence of mental health issues at work.

However, due to the nature of remote work, these individuals may feel isolated from the rest of the organisation. As such, concerted efforts should be made to include remote workers, whether that's by including them in group emails, or inviting them to join team meetings remotely via conference call. Inclusion efforts should extend to out-of-work activities, ensuring remote workers are invited to team social events which can help boost morale and foster a sense of camaraderie between colleagues.

Make support available

Employers need to ensure that they don't take an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach to managing the mental health of remote workers. The task of working remotely, isolated from the rest of the organisation, can be particularly taxing for many, and appropriate provisions must be put in place to ensure that these individuals are supported.  

About the author

David Price is group director of Health Assured, a provider of health and wellbeing solutions.

See also

HSE: Work-related stress, depression or anxiety statistics in Great Britain 2017 [pdf]