How a healthy and happy workplace can bring economic benefits to Calderdale

That’s the message from Calderdale’s Director of Public Health, Paul Butcher, in his department’s latest annual report.

Previous reports have covered a person’s first thousand days and ageing well – and this time Mr Butcher’s focus falls on what people spend so much of their time doing in between, the time they spend at work.

The report will be unveiled to business people at a special presentation on Thursday, February 6 – national Time To Talk Day – at Square Chapel Arts Centre, Halifax, with the screening of an accompanying film, made for the project by Calderdale company, Hebden Bridge-based verd de gris, in which the importance of good mental health is discussed using first-hand stories from Calderdale people who work in businesses both large and small, employers and employees.

It signposts ways in which businesses can ensure their staff enjoy good mental health.

Mr Butcher said workforces were more than just an economic unit generating wealth and healthy ones, physically and mentally, fulfilled human and society ambitions.

The report argues it makes good business sense , with research showing lower productivity in the north due to poor health, but that could and should change.

“If business and companies support people it is an economic win for them as well.

“It only makes sense that if people feel valued in their jobs they are better at their job,” he said.

The report says: “For work to be beneficial to health it needs to provide adequate pay, acceptable hours, good health and safety, job security, job progression and opportunities for employees to participate in decision making.

“But with the rise of the ‘gig’ economy and self employment, the opportunities for what has previously been recognised as good work are diminishing.”

This is trapping too many people into low paid, unskilled and unstable work, often interspersed with periods of unemployment, bringing health issues to the surface.

But if the local economy is to grow and flourish, improvements to health and wellbeing must be prioritised, it says.

The case studies included in the report and film highlight issues which should be, and in the study cases are, being addressed.

Now a support worker, Oxana Kalemi explains how her job as a care worker was dominated by physical and mental exhaustion.

Business professional Martin Roberts explains how a breakdown, in which a traumatic event in his past combined with pressures in the present, triggering a severe mental illness. Martin speaks about the need to talk about it as part of the path to recovery, and he is now the group transformation mental health lead at Lloyds Banking Group.

Mark Coup, who set up his own community-focused care company, now employing more than 100 people, speaks about how pressures arising from the way adult care is funded affect the company’s ability to pay staff, essentially meaning the minimum age, and how his knowledge of the strain this can place on his workforce in turn causes himself stress and anxiety.

Former senior manager Nick Dutton speaks about how he used “making himself busier at work” to distract himself from personal issues outside of his work, but in trying to mask rather than address these his own productivity suffered. Now running his own company, he is an advocate for meaningful corporate responsibility.

Volunteer with a local mental health charity, Penni Dickinson worked for a national retailer for more than 30 years and her employers were sensitive to her mental health needs – she had a pre-existing condition – but when cost cutting led to loss of supportive people she was unable to manage the resulting stress and has not been able to work since redundancy 18 months ago.

Family support worker at a primary school Salihaah Rashid describes how personal and work pressures led her to feel depressed and alone, suffering a breakdown before a new management regime has had a great and positive impact on her sense of well being.

Some of them will be on hand at the report’s launch to answer questions.

Mr Butcher says the report aims to show businesses where help is available, outlining steps which can be taken which will make a difference to employers, and not a lecture to them.

“I’m not going to tell them what to do in their organisations but to consider it, reflect on it and what the purpose is.

“We are keen to have conversations in terms of what will be the next steps, what will help you in business to take this further on.

“We have got some resources and support materials,” he said.

The suggestions are in line with the council’s Wellbeing Strategy.

“Many people spend a lot of time at work and if we are looking to improve our health that’s a key sort of thing to look at and consider.

“We know we have got some great work going on in workplaces, for examples at Lloyds and Covea.

“It is celebrating that as well as trying to encourage more of it,” said Mr Butcher.

Time To talk Day is a campaign run by Time to Change, a growing social movement led by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness.

Among organisations which can help businesses and employees, the council signposts the following.

Every Mind Matters: Advises on simple steps to look after your mental health and wellbeing.

Time to Change: This is a growing social movement working to change the way we all think and act about mental health problems.

Mind: This is the national mental health charity providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.

Samaritans: Offer a free, confidential service, 24 hours a day, on 116 123.

Healthy Minds: This is a Calderdale mental health charity providing support.

Recovery College: This is open to any adult who wants to improve their emotional wellbeing.

The Open Minds website: This can help people with questions about emotional health and wellbeing if they are a young person, parent, carer or professional in Calderdale.