Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)

This Mental Health first aid course is designed with MHFA England

RESPOND - Leadership & Manager Mental Health Skills

Focusses on skills essential to supervisory roles required to support their team

Wellbeing Champions

Make good mental health good for business

Trauma & Critical Incident Support

Supporting people in the workplace who have been exposed to trauma

Neurodiversity & Inclusive Workplaces

Helping organisations build awareness, support mental wellbeing, and unlock the full potential of their people

Workplace Mental Health Essentials

Remove uncertainty by providing clear, practical knowledge that employees can apply in everyday workplace situations

Brew Monday: Why Small Conversations Can Make a Big Difference at Work

You may have heard January’s third Monday referred to as Blue Monday — often labelled as the most difficult day of the year.
At Resilient People, we prefer a different approach.

Brew Monday shifts the focus away from labels and towards something far more helpful: human connection.

It’s a reminder that checking in with someone, putting the kettle on, and taking time to listen can make a real difference — not just on one Monday in January, but at any point in the year.

Why Brew Monday matters

There’s no such thing as a single day when people feel low — and challenges with mental health don’t follow a calendar. But Brew Monday offers a useful prompt to pause and notice the people around us.

In busy workplaces, especially those under pressure, it can be easy to miss the quieter signs that someone might be struggling. A simple conversation can help someone feel:

You don’t need to be an expert or have the right answers. Often, being willing to ask and listen is enough.

It doesn’t have to be a big conversation

One of the biggest barriers to supportive conversations is the belief that they need to be serious, formal, or perfectly worded.

In reality, they often start small:

Brew Monday encourages exactly this kind of low-pressure check-in. It’s not about fixing problems — it’s about creating space for someone to talk, if they want to.

Supporting conversations at work

Many people worry about saying the wrong thing or opening something they can’t handle. That’s understandable — especially for managers, supervisors, and colleagues who care about getting it right.

Good supportive conversations tend to have a few things in common:

Small skills, used consistently, can build confidence and psychological safety across teams.

Free Brew Monday poster resource

To help organisations mark Brew Monday in a practical, accessible way, we’ve created a free Brew Monday poster.

The poster:

It’s designed to work across different settings — from offices to operational, site-based, and frontline environments — and can be displayed on noticeboards or shared digitally with teams.

👉 Download the free Brew Monday poster here

A reminder — for everyone

Brew Monday isn’t just about looking out for others. It’s also a reminder to check in with yourself.

If you’re finding things difficult, reaching out to someone you trust or accessing professional support is a positive step. Looking after your own wellbeing matters too.

And while Brew Monday is a helpful prompt, these conversations don’t need to be limited to one day. There’s always time for a cuppa and a catch-up.

Awareness days and wellbeing campaigns appear in workplace calendars every year — from Mental Health Awareness Week to Stress Awareness Month and World Suicide Prevention Day. But too often, they pass by unnoticed or become a one-off activity that doesn’t quite land.

Used well, however, these moments can act as useful prompts for meaningful conversations, practical learning, and a more proactive approach to mental health at work.

That’s why we’ve created a 2026 Workplace Wellbeing Calendar — a simple, practical resource designed to help organisations plan ahead and use key mental health awareness dates in a way that genuinely supports their people.

Why awareness dates still matter

Mental health awareness days are not about ticking boxes or running token activities. At their best, they provide a shared opportunity to:

For organisations operating in busy, high-pressure or safety-critical environments, these reminders can be especially valuable — offering a pause point in the year to refocus on people, not just performance.

From awareness to action

A common challenge we hear from clients is:

“We want to support wellbeing — we just don’t know where to start.”

A calendar of awareness dates gives structure, but impact comes from what you do around them. Even small, well-timed actions can make a difference, such as:

The key is consistency — building wellbeing into the rhythm of work, rather than treating it as a one-off event.

Making wellbeing visible all year round

Creating healthier workplaces isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about regular, visible commitment — showing people that their wellbeing matters, not just during awareness weeks, but throughout the year.

A simple calendar won’t solve everything, but it can help keep wellbeing on the agenda and support a more open, psychologically safe culture where people feel able to speak up and seek support when they need it.

Download the free 2026 Workplace Wellbeing Calendar

We’ve made the 2026 Wellbeing Calendar available as a free resource for organisations to use and share.

👉 [Download the 2026 Workplace Wellbeing Calendar]

If you’d like support turning awareness into action — through training, wellbeing champion programmes, or practical manager skills — we’re always happy to help. 

Get in touch 

 

When the days get darker and the pressure rises, it’s no surprise that winter can feel like a slog — especially in fast-paced, high-risk environments like construction, rail and logistics.

For many employees, winter brings more than just cold hands. It can affect energy levels, concentration, sleep, mood, and even motivation. And for those already under pressure at work or home, the season can add an extra layer of stress.

So how can workplaces support a healthier mindset through the winter months?

We recently shared a Winter Mindset poster with our wellbeing champion community — and we’re now making it more widely available. Below, we’ve expanded on the practical tips featured in the poster, so you can use them in your own teams or internal campaigns.

 

Why winter can hit harder at work

Let’s be honest — it’s not just the temperature. Shorter daylight hours, reduced time outdoors, the year-end workload, and rising financial pressures can all affect how people feel and function at work.

And in male-dominated industries, this can be made harder by an “all or nothing” culture — where struggling in silence is still common, and the language around mental health may be limited.

Creating a psychologically safe space — where small check-ins and human conversations are the norm — can make all the difference.

 

Six ways to support a healthier mindset this winter

Reframe how we think about winter

Winter doesn’t just have to be something we “get through.” It can also bring things we often miss during busier times — rest, reflection, routine.

A small shift in mindset can have a big impact on energy, outlook and resilience.

 

Kindness goes both ways

Small, genuine acts of kindness can lift morale — whether that’s checking in with a colleague, making someone a brew, or offering encouragement at the end of a tough shift.

Self-compassion matters too. Remind teams it’s okay to say “I’m not 100% today” and to treat themselves with the same patience they’d offer a mate.

 

Savour the small wins

In the winter rush, it’s easy to miss the good moments. But pausing to notice something positive — a job well done, a laugh on site, a quiet moment — can help people reconnect to what matters.

These things might sound simple, but they’re powerful mood-lifters.

 

Keep people connected

When stress increases, people often withdraw. And that isolation can increase risk — not just mentally, but physically too, especially in high-hazard environments.

Connection boosts trust, safety and performance.

 

Help people focus on what matters

Many people feel pressure to “do it all” at this time of year — gifts, events, overtime. That can lead to burnout before Christmas even begins.

Why not encourage a values-based approach to the season?

 

Download the Winter Mindset poster

We originally created this resource for our wellbeing champion network, but it’s now available for all clients and partners.

It’s ideal for noticeboards, toolbox talks, or winter wellbeing campaigns.

Download the Winter Mindset poster

 

Let’s make winter just a little bit lighter

Supporting your teams doesn’t have to mean grand gestures. It’s often the small, consistent things that build trust, boost morale and keep people feeling connected.

And when people feel looked after, they’re more likely to look after each other — and the job at hand.

Want to chat about how to support your teams through winter — or what a wellbeing strategy could look like in 2026?

We’re always happy to share ideas, resources, or a quick conversation to point you in the right direction.

Barrie

As a manager, you’ll need to talk to an employee about concerns around their mental health at some point. Perhaps you’ve already been there. It’s not a comfortable position for anyone.

You know the person’s potentially vulnerable, you know you’re not a mental health professional, and you don’t want to say the wrong thing or make anything worse. But you have a duty of care that’s a heavy responsibility.

Here, we’ve listed some of the warning signs of poor mental health and a general guide to having that initial conversation in a considerate but useful way.

Recognising warning signs of poor mental health

If you notice that someone isn’t how they usually are at work, it’s a good idea to trust your instincts and tune in a bit further. Physical, emotional or behavioural changes can be the early warning signs of a decline in mental health.

By spotting a possible issue and acting promptly, you can help that individual get the right support before their mental health deteriorates any further. It’s crucial to remember that different people can show different symptoms for the same mental health issue.

Common early warning signs include:

Behavioural changes

Changes to behaviour at work include things like:

Physical symptoms

Physical symptoms of mental ill health can be quicker to spot and may include:

Psychological indicators

These psychological factors are often those that people are best at masking. No one wants to feel out of control of their emotional state, especially at work. So these signs may be more obvious indicators:

These signs can be picked up from verbal or non-verbal cues that will be unique to the individual.

Decline in work quality

As a manager, it’s most likely that a dip in work performance will initially cause concern. This might look like:

Mental health issues can be caused by an ongoing medical condition, grow incrementally over time, or occur suddenly due to a life event.

It can be difficult to see the signs, regardless of the cause. This is partly because social stigma makes people reluctant to discuss their mental health and partly because individuals all present different combinations of indicators.

Approaching the individual to address your mental health concerns

So, you have concerns about an employee. What do you do now?

You know you have a legal duty of care to fulfil and the HSE guidance states: “As soon as you notice that an employee is having difficulties, talk to them – early action can prevent them becoming more unwell…Managers should concentrate on making reasonable adjustments at work, rather than understanding the diagnosis.”

Even when you fully agree with all of this, it doesn’t help you broach this delicate subject or keep a very personal conversation professional.

Dr Nicole Lipkin describes the difficulty of the situation for both sides: “It can be extremely isolating to be at work while privately dealing with a mental health issue, afraid of being found out, but desperately wanting support. By the same token, it can be uncomfortable, awkward and confusing trying to navigate how to help or support someone who is struggling, even if every molecule in our body wants to help.”

Does this ring true for you? You’re not alone. Here is some practical advice to use as a starting point for raising your concerns.

1. Privacy

Make sure you have conversations about any kind of health issues in a private space. This might be in your office, if it’s not an open-plan design. Or the person you want to talk to may prefer to be somewhere other than their workplace to express their difficulties. This might mean visiting a local cafe or going for a walk.

It’s more likely that people feel they can share their honesty if they’re comfortable. Explain you won’t share their private information with anyone unless they give their permission. They may actually want you to tell particular people for them because they’re finding it hard to communicate.

At this point, it’s crucial to point out any parts of your Health and Safety policy that state when you won’t keep information confidential.

For example, ‘I’m not going to tell everyone what we discuss. But if I feel that you’re not safe, I may have to tell specific people.’ This means that you can maintain trust, even if you have to inform medical professionals or other staff members, because you’ve been upfront about that possibility.

2. Express concern, not judgement

Social stigma around mental ill health prevents people from seeking help. Particularly when you’re initiating a first conversation, it’s really important to make it clear that you’re coming from a place of concern.

To avoid sounding like you’re judging negative behaviours or performance, start questions with ‘I’, rather than ‘you’ and use open wording. For example:

3. Be an active listener

The CIPD has a useful ‘conversation checklist’, but in essence, active listening involves several key things:

This isn’t always easy. But before anything can be solved, the individual needs to feel heard and understood. You need to hold back your need to give advice or develop an action plan – and just listen.

4. Avoid diagnosing or assuming

It’s best to avoid trying to define a possible mental health illness diagnosis. For example, ‘You’re feeling worried all the time. Maybe you’ve got anxiety, so maybe that means you can’t be client-facing any more.

Of course, you’re considering how you can make reasonable adjustments to their work if necessary. But assuming a particular condition and speculating about how it impacts their job will only make people feel insecure about sharing their mental health challenges again.

5. Hold boundaries

The very nature of the causes and symptoms of mental health issues is personal. Your role is to be supportive – but you also need to maintain professional boundaries.

If an individual is upset in the moment or at a crisis point, they may be asking you for the kind of help that’s way out of your remit. Of course, human instinct is to try and help, but in the workplace, this needs to be within your policies and structures.

For example, you can arrange for them to have weekly time off to see a mental health professional. You can’t be that counsellor, therapist or psychiatrist.

And it’s OK to say that you’re going to help them find the right person to help them with the situation because that’s not you. Not because you don’t want to help, but because you’re not qualified.

Providing mental health resources and support as a manager

One of the most useful ways to support someone with mental health issues is to help them find the right resources. Often, just locating the right support is a step too far for people already exhausted by their current state of mind.

Suggest resources

There are all types of resources available to help with mental health issues. The first point of call should be a GP’s appointment because that’s the gateway to a variety of NHS experts that they might not be able to access otherwise. Then you can suggest things like:

Offer practical support for their role

This is all context-specific, but perhaps you can do things like:

These kinds of arrangements needn’t be a permanent change to their work life. But a temporary supportive structure while they recalibrate their mental health.

Create an open, supportive culture

Creating a supportive work environment is more complex than it seems. It’s shaped by the diverse personalities and perspectives of each employee. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to define and foster a truly supportive culture.

Ideally, all staff trust that being vulnerable enough to seek help is expected, encouraged, and not detrimental to their career. They also need to believe their private mental health information is treated with full confidentiality and won’t become the next gossip topic in the break room.

Part of creating a supportive work culture is having carefully worded policies in place that deal with mental health issues and the procedures managers should follow. It’s also crucial that if individuals feel victimised because of their mental health issues, that action is swift, fair and decisive.

Follow up

Make sure you check back in with any employee who’s shared any mental health issues with you. Nothing intrusive, just a conversation about how they’re feeling and how the support is working for them.

This keeps communication open and strengthens your connection with them. It also means that you can adapt their role with any practical changes needed.

Get specialist mental health training to further support your team

In 2022, an ERC insight paper called ‘Line managers: The emotional labour of managing workplace mental health issues’ came to some interesting conclusions.

Who’s looking after the managers in your organisation? Listening to and supporting employees through mental health issues requires emotional energy. But your managers also need specific training to do this part of their job successfully.

Getting an expert partner on board helps take the strain off your managers and build their knowledge, skills and confidence. We offer a holistic approach, so you can get the right training for your managers, well-being champions, and the entire staff.

Contact us to talk about how we can help support all your employees – including managers.

You’re completely committed to the idea of training employees with what they need to thrive—it’s good for them and good for productivity levels. But you still need to make the business case…

Investment in trauma response training has several benefits that go beyond the lessons learned on training days. The collective skills and knowledge of your team improve workplace culture and productivity while decreasing expensive absenteeism, staff turnover and presenteeism.

It’s tricky to draw a straight ROI line between trauma response training and profit margins. But this doesn’t mean you can’t measure and evaluate these different areas of your business as you embed psychological safety throughout.

What is trauma response training and do we really need it?

Trauma has a lasting impact – not just on individuals but on entire teams and workplace culture. When employees experience or witness distressing events, the effects can run through an organisation, affecting morale, performance, and future well-being.

Specifically tailored trauma response training ensures that you’re prepared to support your people in meaningful, practical ways.

This type of training is not about a quick-fix approach or a one-off seminar. It’s about embedding compassion, awareness, and resilience into the fabric of your workplace. A well-trained team can:

Do we really need trauma response training?

It’s an understandable question when you’re balancing the benefits of different CPD options within a tight budget.

Trauma response training is essential in any workplace where employees may experience or see distressing events. Our first thoughts often go to high-risk industries, like construction and emergency services, but trauma can affect employees in any sector – including yours.

Whether it stems from a workplace incident, global events, or personal challenges, trauma can have a significant impact on mental well-being, team dynamics, and overall performance.

A workplace that prioritises trauma awareness and response ensures employees feel supported, understood, and equipped to handle difficult situations. By embedding compassion and preparedness into your workplace culture, you create an environment where support is always available when it matters most.

Trauma response training can be transformational for your employees, your management team and your bottom line. So yes, you likely do need trauma training. And here are 5 ways it improves your company…

1. Increased resilience

Being resilient isn’t an inherent character trait – it can be built, with the right training. Increasing the resilience of your employees is beneficial for them as individuals and your business.

Improve resilience in individual employees

Resilience to trauma is vital for individuals because it empowers them to recover more effectively from distressing experiences and maintain their mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

When someone has the tools and capacity to process and adapt to trauma, they are less likely to experience long-term negative impacts such as chronic stress, anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Resilience allows individuals to regain a sense of control and confidence after adversity, helping them to re-establish balance in their personal and professional lives.

It also enhances problem-solving abilities, emotional regulation, and interpersonal relationships, helping individuals approach challenges with greater clarity and composure.

Improve your overall business resilience

Increased resilience in the workplace refers to the ability of employees and teams to adapt, recover, and thrive in the face of challenges, setbacks, or traumatic events.

Resilience doesn’t mean avoiding stress altogether – it’s about building the capacity to navigate difficulties while maintaining productivity, well-being, and collaboration.

A resilient workforce is better equipped to handle sudden changes, such as organisational restructuring, industry disruptions, or unexpected crises.

This resilience fosters a more positive workplace culture, improves employee satisfaction, and enhances overall performance.

2. Better support for affected employees

High-quality trauma response training has several key benefits for affected employees, including:

3. Reduce the chance of burnout in both managers and employees

The World Health Organisation defines burnout as “an occupational phenomenon…not classified as a medical condition”. Burnout is the result of chronic workplace stress, with 3 main defining features:

The knowledge and skills learned through trauma response training have a beautiful ripple effect that can help prevent your managers and employees reaching burnout.

They have a deeper understanding of their own emotions, the vocabulary to express their situation confidently, and the knowledge that you will take their workplace mental health concerns seriously—because you’re taking action, not just writing policies.

4. Improve team performance and efficiency

During trauma response training, your people will learn skills that boost their ability to truly work as a team, like:

5. Higher employee retention rates

If your employees feel that you’re actively creating a psychologically safe environment, they’re more likely to be happy at work and not be looking elsewhere. Keeping brilliant employees is great for business…

Implementing trauma response training with the right partner

At Resilient People, we want to help you establish a trauma-informed strategy that’s specifically designed for the people of your organisation. Cookie-cutter training isn’t enough to create the psychological safety net necessary to include everyone in your workforce.

We offer a variety of support and continued consultations after the initial trauma response training – so that you’re able to adapt to any future traumatic events as a team.

As your expert partner, we’ll help you make the most of your investment by ensuring that you have all the tools you need to create a psychologically safe workplace environment – during the training sessions and beyond.

Give us a call and we’ll figure out what’s best for your team.

You hear ‘construction industry’ and you picture hard hats, steelies, and high-vis vests. The physical danger of the work is both notorious and normalised. Everyone’s got folders full of Health and Safety policies and training guides, covering everything from Fire Safety to Asbestos removal. And employee Mental Health safety is also part of your long list of responsibilities…

But, unlike operating instructions for a new bit of kit, ensuring good mental health takes more than a 20 minute toolbox talk. It’s a great place to start, but a toolbox talk is not designed to dig deeply into the complexities of mental health in the construction industry.

You want to be just as circumspect in your approach to your employees’ mental health as you are with all HSE compliance. But where do you start? Ensuring psychological safety is way more complicated than ordering the right PPE.

With Resilient People as your expert partner, you don’t have to tackle this on your own. We support every level of your organisation to embed the skills, knowledge, and confidence you need to create a self-sustaining ecosystem of mental health support.

So read on to find out how to properly address mental health in your construction firm to ensure psychological safety.

Some sobering statistics about mental health in construction

TW: This section discusses suicide rates in the construction industry. Skip straight to the next paragraph, if this is not the right time for you to read this information.

Suicide rates

The need to focus on mental ill health in the construction industry is most starkly illustrated by the suicide rate. A combined team of Glasgow Caledonian University’s BEAM Centre and the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity conducted research to monitor the suicide rate for tradespeople over five years and found:

That’s a substantial rise, year on year. And a significantly higher number of suicides in the construction industry than other professions.

Alongside these extremely concerning suicide statistics, ‘On The Tools’ published their research whitepaper into mental health in the construction industry, ‘Behind the High Vis’, and found that 73% of participants said they are experiencing mental ill health right now, or have experienced mental ill health in the past. The report also published that absenteeism due to ill mental health costs the industry a huge £2.75 billion annually.

The focus on mental health in the construction industry right now is urgent.

The positive?

Although there is much work to be done, there are strong indications of hope. When employers invest in employee wellbeing, they are seeing average of £5.00 return on every £1.

Why is the state of mental health in the construction industry so bad?

There are a combination of factors within the construction industry that lead tradespeople to have increased mental ill health, including:

There’s also the fragmented makeup of how people are employed in the industry. As Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, said:

“More than 87% of our construction workforce are male and more than 50% of the sector is made up of self-employed, agency staff or zero-hour contract workers. Financial insecurity is a major factor for poor wellbeing in our workforce and the pandemic added greater anxiety and emotional burden.”

It’s important that employers consider the individual people under the hard hats, by leading with an attitude of understanding and specialist mental health training.

Typical construction mental health toolbox talks

The ‘toolbox talk’ format is usually a 15 to 30 minute talk, at the start of the working day, with one specific health and safety focus. For example:

They’re designed to share important information, about one specific topic, within a reasonable concentration span. A toolbox talk is a good way to share the same information, with everyone at the same time, in the spirit of preventative and proactive physical health and safety management. But they don’t replace the more detailed compliance training required for, say, the Fire Safety Officer.

When it comes to mental health toolbox talks, the focus becomes a general awareness of some mental health issues. As this is designed for all staff, it’s foundational knowledge about common mental health conditions, symptoms, and how you can help someone that’s suffering from mental ill health. A construction mental health toolbox talk will mention that there’s a lot of unnecessary stigma around mental ill health and share some safe language that colleagues can use to discuss it.

Toolbox talk limitations

Of course, this learning format doesn’t lend itself to developing depth of understanding and can’t address underlying issues in your workplace. A toolbox talk on mental health is generic and can only deliver the superficial headlines of an extremely complex area. There’s no instruction manual for managing our own mental health, or numbered guide for supporting a colleague with a mental illness. There’s also limited time to explore people’s own thoughts or raise questions.

Your employees need specialist training and a safe space to have meaningful conversations about how mental health issues impact them. A one-off, standalone session isn’t the way to do this.

A mental health toolbox talk is the start of a conversation. It makes sure that everyone’s working from a baseline of information about mental health first aid and where they can get further support. But it’s limited to awareness – which is not the level of understanding you need to reduce stigma, change attitudes and develop the culture you want in your construction business.

How to create psychological safety in your construction company

You can make a huge difference to the employees in your care by investing in mental health training. This helps you create a working environment that has psychological safety, alongside physical safety, as its foundations for productivity.

“It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.” Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The legislation that underpins and connects all the physical safety precautions you take and maintain for your employees, to ensure their physical safety. It can be helpful to approach psychological safety in the same way – understand the risks to mental health and minimise them as much as possible.

What psychological safety really means to your employees

Psychological safety doesn’t just mean that your employees trust you’ll treat them fairly as an employer. It’s about having a culture where everyone can express themselves honestly without harm to their mental health.

Of course you want this for your employees – it’s just ‘the right thing’. To embed principles of good mental health into your company culture, you need to put it at the heart of your entire business strategy. A couple of days, ‘bolt-on’ training won’t create the kind of nurturing ecosystem you’re aiming for.

Resilient People provide training for people in different roles in your company, so that everyone works together on a multi-layered approach to mental health.

Awareness ‘toolbox talk’ training is your first layer. Let’s build on that…

Reactive training for mental health in construction

These are mental health training courses that organisations will often look for as a reaction to an issue or incident that’s already happened. This might look like:

Mental Health First Aid training

This is a two-day, accredited course that gives you certified mental health first aiders for your organisation. Participants are trained to understand factors that affect people’s mental health, spot triggers and signs of mental ill health, and knowledge of where to get further support.

There is some work on their own social skills, like non-judgmental active listening, and how to reassure someone in a mental health first aid situation. It goes beyond basic awareness by giving trainees the skills, knowledge, and confidence to deal with such sensitive subject matter.

Trauma Risk Management (TRiM)

The 2-day TRiM Practitioner course is to train middle leaders to understand how traumatic events impact individuals. They’re able to spot particular signs that lead to early intervention after a traumatic incident and how to scaffold ongoing support.

Organisations often ask about this course after a serious accident, suicide, or death on site. The aim is to develop a peer-led framework to handle the mental health impact of traumatic events. It’s not a ‘one-and-done’ passing of information.

The idea is that you put a monitoring structure in place to provide continuous support. In times of crisis, your TRiM practitioner’s will be able to guide people through a known process. If your company is regularly operating in high risk environments, this kind of preparation is invaluable.

There’s an additional day’s training for managers to take a wider lens view of trauma support – from policy, to leading Tactical Incident Briefings. Another critical element is teaching managers to carefully monitor and support their TRiM practitioners.

Proactive training for mental health in construction

Resilient People don’t just deliver the same boilerplate training for every client. We listen to what you need in your organisation and give management the right training and subsequent support to be able to successfully handle mental health issues in your specific workplace.

This means:

We help managers develop a deeper understanding of mental health and see support not as a one-off conversation, but as part of the workplace culture they help shape. In the On the Tools whitepaper, 47% of participants said they were ‘somewhat unsupported’ or ‘completely unsupported’ when experiencing mental ill health.

Only 28% said they felt ‘somewhat supported’ or ‘completely supported’. We’d all rather be in the last category. With the right perspective and skills, line managers can drive meaningful, lasting change and help create self-sustaining psychological safety across your organisation.

Wherever you have a culture of real mental health support, you have a workforce that’s better engaged, more resilient, and more productive.

Start being proactive in your approach to mental health training

We all know the adage, ‘prevention is better than cure’, and it’s stuck in our lexicon for a reason – it’s true! As managers you have the opportunity to be utterly proactive in your response to mental health.

Developing an understanding, supportive culture through the right expert training means that your tradespeople are able to be their best, healthiest selves at work – and at home.

Sure, start with a Mental Health Toolbox Talk – but make sure it’s just the start!

Reducing the damaging stigma still attached to mental health in the construction industry will need your leadership and guidance to make sure everyone’s heading in the same direction.

Resilient People won’t just helicopter in, ‘do the training’ and disappear over the horizon – it’s your training, we tailor it to your strategic goals. And we’re here as ongoing support, to help you build the multi-layered, self-sustaining ecosystem your people need to thrive.

Get in touch for a chat about how we can help you build resilience into your construction company.

Good mental health is a fundamental part of a healthy, productive workplace. More and more organisations recognise that supporting mental wellbeing isn’t just good for people, it’s good for business too.

When employees feel understood, supported, and safe to be themselves, they’re far more likely to stay engaged and committed to their work.

That’s where mental health training makes a real difference. By giving teams the skills and confidence to talk openly about mental health, spot the signs of someone who might be struggling, and respond appropriately, businesses can build a more supportive culture from the ground up.

The result? Stronger relationships, fewer people burning out, and greater staff retention over the long term.

Let’s take a closer look at the connection between good workplace mental health training and employee retention.

Why employee retention matters

According to research by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), it costs you 6 to 9 months’ wages every time you replace a salaried employee.

Their breakdown, by annual salary:

The costs of a high staff turnover encompass:

You don’t just lose financially. You lose the institutional knowledge built up by employees over time. A high staff turnover often negatively impacts morale for the team left behind and sometimes triggers a snowball of other resignations. It can also do reputational damage to your organisation, meaning you lose out on attracting top talent. And if you don’t actively look after your employees, you’re inevitably going to lose them to your competition.

Employee engagement is key for your employees and your bottom line

You don’t just want people physically ‘at work’ – successful organisations need their employees to be actively engaged in their roles.

According to a 2024 Gallup survey, “$9.6 trillion in productivity would be added to the economy if the global workforce was fully engaged. That would represent a 9% increase in global GDP.”

Given how much time we all spend at work, it’s no surprise that “Half of employees who are engaged at work are thriving in life overall, compared with only a third of employees who are not engaged.”

This global picture is rather disheartening. And that’s just one set of statistics that all tell the same story. But it’s not really a surprise, is it?

The brilliant thing about being a leader is that you have the power to make things better for your employees – and get their best selves at work.

How employee loyalty contributes to better team performance, morale, and organisational growth

Employee loyalty brings stability, energy, and cohesion to a workplace. When people feel genuinely supported and choose to stay, the whole organisation benefits. Some of the key benefits include:

Loyalty isn’t something you can mandate, but when you invest in your people’s mental health and wellbeing at work, it often follows naturally.

So, how can mental health training help you develop employee loyalty and increase staff retention…?

The link between mental health training and employee retention

A toxic workplace culture is ten times more likely to provoke a resignation than salary potential. This startling information is from a recent research into the complex reasons behind ‘The Great Resignation’ that started in 2021.

When organisations take mental wellbeing seriously, it has a ripple effect across the whole workplace. Mental health training plays a key role in this because it gives leaders and teams the tools to better understand and support each other.

Here’s how supporting employees’ mental wellbeing links directly to stronger retention:

In short, when mental well-being is woven into the culture through training and everyday practices, it creates a workplace where people want to stay – not just because they have to, but because they choose to.

Mental health training reduces stigma

Good mental health training reduces stigma surrounding mental health. When people feel they have to hide their struggles, it can lead to silence, shame, and ultimately, absence.

For example, some people who have been on long-term sick leave for mental ill health are often too embarrassed to return, and just leave for other employment.

But when you have expert-led training, it:

Reducing stigma isn’t about ticking boxes. Investment in mental health training shows that you’re serious about building a culture where everyone feels able to bring their whole self to work, and to stay for the long term.

Build a culture of care and support

At the heart of every thriving workplace is a culture where people feel genuinely cared for. Mental health training can be a powerful starting point. It equips teams with the skills to listen, respond with empathy, and create a safe space for open conversations.

Care isn’t just a brand value – it’s a practical foundation for a stronger, more connected workplace.

Empower managers to deal with mental health-related concerns

Equipping your managers with the right mental health training is essential for creating a workplace culture where employees feel psychologically safe, supported, and respected.

When leaders are trained to recognise the early warning signs of mental health concerns, they are better able to intervene appropriately and sensitively – helping to address issues before they escalate into long-term sickness or crisis situations.

With proper training, your managers and team leaders will confidently navigate conversations around mental health – from preparing an employee for a doctor’s appointment to planning a structured return-to-work process. This might include phased returns, reduced hours, or flexible responsibilities, all tailored to the individual’s needs and capacity.

By leading with empathy and informed action, managers and team leaders play a pivotal role in reducing stigma, improving outcomes, handling trauma, and ensuring mental health is effectively managed across your organisation.

Ultimately, well-prepared leaders help build healthier, more resilient teams where concerns are addressed early and recovery is supported in a meaningful, sustainable way.

Improve overall workplace wellbeing

You’re in such a great position! The right mental health training will improve employee wellbeing across your organisation. Proactively addressing workplace stress leads to happier, more focused teams, boosted productivity and engagement, and reduced staff turnover.

Alongside this, well-being-focused cultures attract top talent because job seekers are increasingly prioritising workplaces that genuinely care. Highlighting your mental health initiatives during recruitment, such as flexible work options or wellbeing budgets, shows you walk the talk.

By building a culture that genuinely supports mental health, businesses not only improve day-to-day well-being but also lay the foundation for long-term success. A workplace that invests in its people’s resilience is one where everyone is able to do their best work.

Actionable steps to boost employee retention with mental health training

Tackling improvements to your workplace culture, mental health strategy, and overall well-being of your people is an exciting prospect. It can also be a daunting one. Here are some steps to get started.

  1. Assess your organisation’s current approach to mental health
    Look at what’s already in place, where the gaps are, and how mental health is discussed (or not) across different teams. This will help you set realistic goals and identify where training can make the most impact.

  2. Invest in role-specific training to meet the needs of different groups
    Leaders need the tools to spot early warning signs, have sensitive conversations, and manage returns to work. Team members may benefit from training on managing stress, building resilience, and supporting peers.

  3. Embed deeper understanding with ongoing mental health training
    One-off sessions are a good start, but real change happens when learning is continuous. Include mental health in your leadership development, onboarding, and annual training calendars to keep skills sharp and your culture strong.

  4. Create space for conversations and reflection
    Everyone already has a full calendar. You need to build in regular time for check-ins, team reflections, and wellbeing-focused meetings. Training should go hand-in-hand with opportunities to practise what’s been learned in everyday work.

  5. Partner with experts to guide your strategy
    Working with specialists like Resilient People ensures your mental health training is relevant, impactful, and sustainable. We help you build an evolving, long-term strategy that supports your people and improves retention.

You don’t have to work out how to improve staff retention by yourself. Get in touch today and we’ll talk through the best mental health training options for your organisation.

This year, Mental Health Awareness Week runs from 12th to 18th May 2025. It’s a valuable annual marker that gives organisations a connected moment of pause.

Depending on where you are in your mental health strategy development, it can offer space for reflection, honest conversations about mental wellbeing, or a springboard for action.

This year’s theme, ‘Community’, is a powerful reminder that no one thrives in isolation. And that the environments we live and work in have a profound effect on our mental health.

This article offers advice on how to authentically develop a sense of community in your organisation, with practical steps that leaders can take to shift culture in a healthier, more supportive direction.

How ‘community’ affects mental health in organisations

We often talk about ‘community’ as workplace culture – the daily behaviours, values, and norms that shape how people connect, support one another, and feel they belong.

A healthy culture creates psychological safety, encouraging people to speak up, ask for help, and use support systems early. But culture can also be a barrier. In some organisations, it enables toxic behaviours, reinforces stigma, and silences conversations about stress or mental health, eroding safety and stunting growth.

When employees feel respected and supported, they’re more resilient and less stressed. But in cultures driven by fear, exclusion, or unhealthy competition, people often hide their struggles, leading to burnout and disconnection.

Examples of how a poor community can negatively affect mental health include:

Good psychological safety = good community

By contrast, a strong, supportive workplace community is the foundation of psychological safety – the ability to speak openly, ask for help, and be your full self at work without fear of judgment or financial repercussions.

When psychological safety is missing, it becomes easy for mental health challenges to stay hidden:

A healthy culture says: ‘You matter here. Your voice counts. It’s okay not to be okay.’ That’s the kind of workplace culture where people truly thrive – and where mental health isn’t just a paper policy, but a shared value.

Over time, a poor workplace culture doesn’t just affect individuals – it erodes team cohesion, increases staff turnover, and damages the organisation’s overall resilience.

Signs you need to improve your organisation’s sense of community

Psychological safety isn’t always visibly obvious. It doesn’t show up in a policy document or a staff newsletter. It lives in the everyday experiences of your people.

That’s why it’s essential to take a wide-lens view of your workplace culture and ask: ‘How psychologically safe and connected do people really feel here?’

Even in well-intentioned organisations, the sense of community can quietly weaken over time – especially if growth, pressure, or change go unchecked. If you’re not sure whether your organisation is fostering a strong, supportive culture, here are some common warning signs to look out for:

These signs don’t always mean something is “wrong” – but they’re clear signals that your organisation may benefit from auditing your workplace culture and perhaps looking to rebuild a stronger sense of community.

7 small steps that make a big difference to psychological safety and sense of community (with examples!)

When it comes to building psychological safety in the workplace, big, sweeping policy changes can often be met with resistance. After all, these are deeply personal topics that touch on how we work, communicate, and relate to one another.

Introducing too much change too quickly can feel overwhelming and even confronting. That’s why it’s essential to focus on small steps, taken often. These incremental changes have a compounding effect that transforms your organisation’s culture over time.

The key is to make adjustments that feel natural rather than forced. Quick fixes can trigger suspicion – employees might wonder if the change is just a tactic to get them to sign up for something they’re not ready for, or covering for something else.

Instead, it’s about weaving these steps into the daily fabric of how your team works, communicates, and collaborates. When psychological safety is seen as part of the organisation’s overall business strategy, not as an isolated initiative, it becomes a sustainable way of working that helps you perform better, collaborate more effectively, and achieve your business goals.

Here are the seven small but powerful steps that can have a big impact on psychological safety and wellbeing of everyone at work:

1. Encourage open conversations

Creating a culture where open conversations are the norm is one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to build psychological safety. When leaders and team members openly talk about challenges, mistakes, and ideas, it normalises vulnerability and helps reduce the fear of judgment.

If a leader shares a personal struggle at work or admits to a mistake, it sends the message that it’s okay not to be (or pretend to be) perfect. This vulnerability encourages others to be open and honest about their own experiences. Over time, teams will begin to feel safer discussing sensitive topics without fear of repercussions.

For example, your marketing manager regularly admits when they don’t know the answer to a question, encouraging others to share their uncertainties. This leads to more collaborative problem-solving and fosters a culture where asking for help is seen as a strength, not a weakness.

2. Really listen

Listening is one of the most powerful tools for creating psychological safety. It’s not enough to simply hear someone’s words – you need to listen without jumping to judgment or offering quick fixes.

Take the time to understand someone’s feelings and perspective before responding. When employees feel heard and understood, they’re more likely to speak up in the future.

For example, in a team meeting, rather than quickly jumping in with solutions when someone mentions a challenge, a manager might respond with, “Tell me more about what’s going on”, or “How can I support you?” This shows genuine care and respect for the employee’s experience, which encourages them to be more open.

3. Recognise and appreciate

One of the simplest ways to make employees feel valued is by recognising and appreciating their contributions. Recognising efforts – not just final outcomes – helps employees feel that their work is seen, even when it’s still in progress. Celebrating small wins can go a long way in boosting morale and reinforcing a positive culture.

For example, after a project team met a tough deadline with impressive results, the manager took time to thank individuals for their dedication. This highlighted their extra effort, strong collaboration, and creative problem-solving, which boosted morale and reinforced team pride and belonging.

4. Mental health awareness training

Mental health awareness training equips managers and teams to spot signs of distress, handle sensitive conversations, and guide colleagues to the right support. Investing in training reduces stigma, encourages a proactive, supportive culture, and shows genuine commitment – proving it’s more than just a tick-box exercise.

For example, a manager who has undergone mental health first aid training recognises when an employee is showing signs of burnout. Instead of brushing it off, they initiate a conversation with the employee, expressing concern and offering flexibility, while also suggesting resources like counselling or mental health support programs.

5. Foster inclusive spaces

For psychological safety to thrive, everyone in the organisation needs to feel included – whatever their role, background, or personality. Actively fostering inclusive spaces means giving everyone the chance to speak up, participate, and contribute. This not only helps to build trust but also shows that all voices are valued, not just the loudest or most senior.

Example: In meetings, a leader intentionally asks for input from quieter team members or those from underrepresented groups, ensuring that every perspective is heard. This fosters a sense of belonging and helps prevent people from feeling sidelined or invisible.

6. Check in regularly

Sometimes, the best support starts with a simple, “How are you really doing?”

Regular check-ins, formal or informal, create safe spaces for honest conversations and help flag issues early. Even brief chats show employees their well-being matters.

For example, adding this question to one-on-one reviews will keep performance discussions intact while making care for mental health explicit. It normalises open dialogue, reinforces the link between well-being and success at work, and encourages people to seek help when needed.

7. Assign wellbeing champions

Creating a network of wellbeing champions across different departments helps embed mental health initiatives across the organisation. These committed individuals promote positive practices, offer peer support, and keep wellbeing on the agenda.

For example, the HR wellbeing champion runs monthly “Mental Health Check-In” sessions and gathers feedback from teams to help the organisation improve its mental health support and build a stronger, more connected culture.

By focusing on these small but impactful steps, you can begin to shift the culture in your organisation towards greater psychological safety. The key is consistency – taking the time to nurture an environment of trust, openness, and support, one step at a time.

Remind employees all year round that they’re not alone at work

Mental Health Awareness Week is a valuable opportunity to start conversations and shine a light on employee well-being. But we all know that meaningful change doesn’t happen in a week. Real impact comes from weaving mental health into the everyday fabric of your workplace.

That means focusing on it consistently with small, intentional actions that build trust, psychological safety, and a positive workplace culture.

At Resilient People, we know that creating a culture where everyone feels psychologically safe is full of nuance. That’s why we take a holistic, expert-led approach, offering a wide range of training, workshops, and development programmes that meet your organisation where it’s at.

Whether you’re just starting to have these conversations or ready to embed deeper mental health strategies, we’re here to support you at every stage. Give us a call and let’s see what steps we can take together.

All railway employees – from drivers and conductors to station staff and maintenance crews – often face challenging and traumatic events as part of their everyday work. Violence, accidents, fatalities, and near misses aren’t just rare incidents; they’re a real and recurring risk across the rail industry.

The impact of these experiences can be far-reaching. We know that trauma affects mental health, job performance, and long-term well-being if left unaddressed. But it can be difficult to put the right support in place for your employees.

At Resilient People, we believe in acknowledging these challenges with honesty and compassion. You can make a huge positive difference to your organisation by creating a trauma-informed workplace culture where everyone feels seen, supported, and psychologically safe.

This blog post offers practical guidance on how to help your railway staff at key moments – from emotional first aid immediately following an incident to the embedded structures that create ongoing support.

TW: This article discusses different types of traumatic experiences, including death by suicide and other fatalities. Please consider whether this is the right time for you to read this before you continue.

Types of traumatic experiences railway workers are exposed to

Railway workers face different types of traumatic experiences. These are some of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulation(RIDDOR) statistics reported to the Office of Rail and Road, for the year March 2023-March 2024:

Across all mainline networks, trams and the London Underground:

That’s nearly one suicide attempt every day.

Mainline railworkers:

Station staff:

That’s a wide range of traumatic experiences, from witnessing fatalities and serious accidents to dealing with near misses, verbal abuse and violence, or discovering someone in distress.

All of these situations are deeply upsetting, and the effects aren’t always immediate or visible. That’s why your mental health support plan needs both reactive and preventative elements.

It’s not only about what happens just after an incident happens but also about helping workers feel mentally prepared before anything occurs. Support can be broadly categorised into two areas:

  1. Immediate action: Including psychological first aid, peer support, and time to decompress following an event
  2. Long-term action: Involving expert-led trauma training, access to counselling, regular mental health check-ins, and building a workplace culture that recognises and responds to trauma in a meaningful way.

Both parts are essential to sustaining the good mental health of your railway employees. Let’s explore each type in more detail…

1. Providing immediate support for railway workers after a traumatic event

In the aftermath of a traumatic experience, the right support can make all the difference. It’s about more than responding – it’s about reassuring, protecting, and allowing space to process.

Immediate support should prioritise safety, dignity, and compassion. Here’s how:

Provide a safe space

As soon as possible, move the affected employee to a private, quiet area – ideally somewhere calm, away from operational activity, public view, and loud noises. This could be a break room, office, or designated well-being area.

The aim is to give them a sense of physical and psychological safety – a place where they can start to regain a feeling of control.

Offer Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)

If trained personnel are available, Mental Health First Aid should be offered. This doesn’t mean counselling – it means listening calmly, providing reassurance, and being present.

Offer simple physical comforts like water, a warm drink, a blanket, or tissues. Ask if they’d like someone contacted (a family member, friend, or union rep).

Your presence and gentle approach help reinforce that they’re not alone, that their well-being is a priority, and that they’re going to be okay.

Acknowledge their experience

Traumatic incidents can leave people feeling shocked, numb, tearful, guilty, angry, or completely shut down. All of these reactions are normal. Let them know it’s okay to feel whatever they’re feeling.

You don’t need to probe or ask for details – simply saying something like, “You’ve just been through something really difficult, so it’s completely okay to feel overwhelmed right now” can go a long way in helping them feel validated and supported.

Initial time off

It’s important to allow the person to step away from their duties without having to explain themselves or feel guilty for leaving. Encourage them to take the rest of the day off – and longer if needed – and make it clear that their immediate well-being comes first.

Offer to arrange transport home or ensure someone can meet them if they’re not okay to travel alone.

Debrief, don’t interrogate

In the hours following an incident, it’s natural to want to understand what happened. But this isn’t the time for formal questioning or fact-finding, especially if they’ve already given a witness statement to the police.

Instead, provide a gentle, non-judgmental check-in. Focus on how they’re feeling rather than what they saw or did. Avoid putting them on the spot.

A question like “How are you feeling now?” or “Is there anything you need right now?” can create space for them to talk if they want to – and stay silent if they don’t.

2. Providing long-term mental health support and ongoing counselling

Support after a traumatic event shouldn’t stop once the initial crisis has passed. In fact, it’s often in the days, weeks, and even months that follow that people begin to process what happened. This is where longer-term support within a mental health strategy becomes critical.

Here are some elements to include in your meaningful, sustained mental health care:

Early access to professional help

Getting timely access to the right support can make all the difference in preventing longer-term mental health issues.

Offer clear, simple pathways to trauma-informed professionals – whether through your organisation’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) or external specialists in crisis response.

It’s vital that the services provided understand the unique pressures railway workers face and are trained in supporting people who’ve experienced shock, loss, or high-stress situations.

Normalise counselling

One of the biggest barriers to long-term recovery is stigma. Some employees may feel they should ‘tough it out’ or keep going for the sake of their team – particularly in male-dominated industries like the railway industry.

That’s why it’s important to:

Flexible support options

Everyone responds differently after a traumatic event, and what feels safe or comfortable for one person might not suit another. That’s why offering choice is essential.

Make sure employees have access to a range of formats, including in-person counselling, telephone support, and secure online therapy sessions. Flexibility helps remove barriers, especially for those who may not feel ready to speak face-to-face or who work irregular hours.

Regular check-ins

Recovery isn’t linear, and sometimes the emotional impact of a traumatic event doesn’t surface right away. Scheduling confidential follow-up check-ins creates ongoing opportunities for support. It gives individuals reassurance to know that management understands this and they’re not expected to be ‘fine’ after a set date.

Ideally, check-ins will be scheduled at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after the incident.

These can be carried out by a trusted line manager, HR professional, or designated well-being lead. Check-ins should be informal and focused on how the person is feeling, not on performance or return-to-work pressure.

Watch for delayed symptoms

Some signs of trauma don’t show up immediately. Managers and colleagues should be aware of potential delayed symptoms of PTSD or ongoing stress. These can include withdrawal or avoidance behaviour, irritability, difficulty concentrating, sleep issues, or increased absenteeism.

Your team leaders need training and awareness sessions to help them spot these signs early and respond with empathy and appropriate referrals – not discipline or judgement.

How Resilient People supports you – before, during, and after trauma

Supporting railway workers through trauma isn’t just about reacting to what’s happened – it’s about preparing, responding, and following up in a way that builds long-term resilience.

At Resilient People, we specialise in helping organisations create environments where people feel safe, supported, and understood, no matter what challenges they face.

You get a tailored package of support chosen from the full range of our expertise and experience, which includes:

At Resilient People, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Every railway team is different, and we’re here to help you find the right fit.

Call us today to talk through the best approach for your railway workers. Let’s build a healthier, more resilient workplace together.

Many organisations proudly showcase their mental health policies. But too often, these theoretical commitments just stay in their folders, are never translated into practical application, and don’t actually improve the everyday reality of staff.

By not bridging this nuanced step from theory to practice, managers are showing their people:

For mental health initiatives to truly matter, they must be woven into the fabric of workplace culture.

This blog post offers 5 actionable tips to help organisations bridge the gap between theory and practice to create a workplace environment where mental health is supported in real, meaningful ways.

The difference between theory and practice in mental health

“In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, while in practice there is?” Benjamin Brewster, The Yale Literary Magazine

It’s likely that if you have policy-making responsibilities, you recognise this tricky philosophical question. Just because there’s a policy about something, doesn’t mean that it’s happening (or not happening) in everyday working life.

But being aware of this distinction doesn’t make it any easier to tackle. In terms of mental health strategy, you know where you are, and you know your destination. But mapping the journey is the piece that can be difficult to define.

So, here are 5 steps to take your mental health policy from paper into a useful reality.

1. Train everyone regularly – not just once

Mental health training isn’t a ‘one and done’ activity. To build a culture that genuinely supports wellbeing, every employee – regardless of role or seniority – should receive mental health awareness training as part of their onboarding process and ongoing professional development.

When everyone has a shared baseline of understanding, it fosters empathy, reduces stigma, and encourages open conversations from day one. This results in:

Increased managers’ confidence

While a general awareness is important for all staff, managers need deeper, more specialised training. They’re often the first point of contact when someone is struggling, so they should be equipped to recognise early warning signs, initiate supportive conversations, and respond appropriately to disclosures. This includes understanding boundaries, knowing when to signpost to professional help, and how to maintain confidentiality and trust.

Staying current

Importantly, mental health knowledge isn’t static – it evolves with research, social awareness, and workplace dynamics. That’s why training should be refreshed and reinforced at least annually. Regular updates ensure your team stays informed about best practices and continues to build confidence in how to respond in real-world situations.

An opportunity to practice the theories

Gold standard mental health training isn’t just theoretical. Real impact comes from practical exercises like roleplays, scenario-based discussions, and interactive workshops. These methods help employees and managers feel prepared, not just informed – and ready to support the whole team with confidence and compassion.

2. Create visible, accessible support networks

Establishing strong, visible, and accessible support networks within an organisation is essential to fostering a culture where mental health is prioritised and openly discussed. This can be achieved through several interconnected initiatives that empower employees, encourage peer engagement, and ensure support is always within reach.

Peer support programmes

Implementing a peer support programme can make a significant difference in how comfortable your employees feel seeking help.

By training volunteers from various departments and levels of your organisation, businesses can create a network of approachable and trained individuals who serve as first points of contact for mental health concerns.

Of course, this peer support network doesn’t replace professional help. But it gives employees designated people to go to with their mental health issues, knowing:

It’s vital to look after the people in this role with regular check-ins and refresher training to help maintain their confidence and programme effectiveness.

Well-being champions

Your well-being champions have a slightly different role. They take the support network a step further by promoting well-being initiatives, normalising mental health conversations, and driving cultural change from within.

Ideally, you’ll have mental health champions from all levels of your organisation – from C-suite to entry-level staff. This ensures increased representation and visibility for all the different types of people working in your business.

Clear resource hub

It’s really important to have one go-to place where people can easily find mental health support. This could be a page on the intranet or an employee portal – somewhere simple that everyone can access.

The hub should include things like:

The hub should be easy to find, mobile-friendly, and kept up to date. For example, a quick link on people’s desktops can make a big difference, highlighting that support is just a click away.

3. Champion mental health at work from the top down

As a member of the leadership, you need to lead from the front if you want to create a truly psychologically safe workplace.

By actively challenging mental health stigma and promoting mental well-being, leadership teams send a strong message to the whole organisation. It’s time to show, not tell – these are real company values, not just ‘HR policy stuff.’

There are lots of simple but powerful ways you can lead by example, including all the ones you’re already doing, such as:

These small actions show that it’s okay to speak up and seek support, no matter your level in the business.

KPIs for managers

It’s also important to build mental health awareness and support into how we measure success. Managers should be recognised and rewarded not just for hitting targets, but also for how they support their teams.

This could mean including ‘provide mental health support’ as part of performance reviews, encouraging behaviours like creating safe spaces for conversation, being approachable, and knowing how to spot when someone might be struggling.

Accountability

Appointing a senior leader as the visible sponsor for mental health initiatives helps keep the conversation going at board level too. This person can champion new ideas, back up internal campaigns, and make sure well-being stays on the agenda when big decisions are being made.

Zero tolerance

It should be crystal clear that ignoring or responding poorly to mental health concerns isn’t just unhelpful, it’s an unacceptable problem. Supporting mental health in the workplace isn’t optional – it’s part of your job as a leader. Making that expectation part of how we assess performance helps drive real, lasting change.

4. Embed mental health into everyday practices

For mental health awareness to really stick, it has to become part of the day-to-day – not just something talked about during awareness weeks or after a traumatic event.

By weaving the language and knowledge into everyday routines and conversations, you can build a culture where looking after mental well-being feels normal, not like an awkward afterthought.

Start with team meetings

A simple check-in like, “How’s everyone doing today?” or, “What’s one word to describe how you’re feeling this week?” can go a long way. It shifts the focus from just tasks and deadlines to how people are actually feeling. Over time, these small moments create trust and open up space for honest conversations.

Flexibility

Encouraging remote working, flexible hours, or taking mental health days shows that your organisation understands life isn’t one-size-fits-all.

When people feel trusted to manage their time and energy, it reduces stress and helps prevent burnout. You could also introduce ‘no meeting’ afternoons or encourage people to block out quiet time for focus or recharging.

Regular reminders and updates

Keeping mental health visible throughout the year helps keep it in the spotlight, reinforcing how important your employees’ mental health is to the whole organisation.

Monthly or quarterly themes give teams a chance to focus on one topic at a time. You can start planning under broad headlines like ‘Stress Awareness’, ‘Preventing Burnout’, or ‘Building Resilience.’

These can be supported by short articles, workshops, guest speakers, or even casual team discussions. For example, a ‘Resilience Week’ might include a workshop with us, a voluntary guided meditation session, and a resource pack on managing pressure.

Other simple ideas include:

The goal is to keep mental health on the radar – not just when things go wrong, but as an ongoing, everyday part of how your team works together.

5. Measure, learn, and improve

Just like any other part of your business strategy, your mental health efforts need to be properly measured, monitored, analysed, and altered according to any actionable insights.

There are several things you can do to establish a dynamic evaluation process for your mental health policies and practice:

Gather feedback

Start by regularly checking in with staff through anonymous surveys or quick pulse checks. Ask about their mental health, how supported they feel, and what could be better. This gives you real insight into how your workplace culture is affecting well-being, and helps spot issues before they become bigger problems.

Take action

Make a point of showing employees how their voices lead to action.

For example, if people say they’re struggling with back-to-back meetings, you might trial a “no meetings” afternoon. Then, clearly communicate the link: “You said meetings were overwhelming, so we introduced focus time every Wednesday.”

This kind of follow-up shows you’re listening and builds trust over time.

Review

It’s also important to regularly review your mental health policies and support strategies. What worked last year might not work now.

Use employee feedback, industry best practices, and expert advice to keep things fresh, relevant, and effective. That could mean updating your mental health training, adding new support tools, or making policies more inclusive.

In short, make mental health support something that evolves with your workplace—not something you set and forget. When people see that their feedback drives real change, they’re far more likely to stay engaged, give you their honesty, and feel valued.

Resilient People: Helping you turn commitment into culture

The fact that you’re exploring ways to support your employees’ mental health already speaks volumes – it shows a genuine commitment to building a healthier, more compassionate workplace.

At Resilient People, we know that this kind of proactive leadership can create real, lasting change. When mental health is championed from the top down and woven into everyday culture, it doesn’t just support individuals – it transforms teams and strengthens businesses as a whole.

We’re here to help you turn that commitment into action with the tools, training, and strategies that truly make a difference. Together, we can build a workplace where well-being isn’t just talked about, it’s lived every day.

Give us a call today– we’ll work out what your people need, together.