Launched by Sarah Albon, Chief Executive of The Health and Safety Executive, at the HSE Health and Work Conference, Working Minds raises awareness about how to recognise and respond to the signs of stress and reminds employers of their legal duty to protect workers and support good mental health to help people to stay well.

Working with partner organisations, including Mind, Acas, Mates in Mind, Civil Engineering Contractors Association, Composites UK, the Homecare Association, the Farm Safety Foundation and Lifelines Scotland we will provide small businesses with relevant information and practical tools.

Sarah said: “Work-related stress and poor mental health should be treated with the same significance as risks of poor physical health and injury. In terms of the affect it has on workers, significant and long-term stress can limit performance and impact personal lives.

“No worker should suffer in silence and if we don’t act now to improve workers’ mental health, this could evolve into a health and safety crisis.

“The pandemic has highlighted the need to protect the health of employees who have faced unprecedented challenges; the Government is committed to building back better and we want to make sure good mental health is central to this.”

The value of Working Minds has been recognised across industry, Dane Krambergar, head of workplace wellbeing services at campaign partner Mind, said:

“We’re really pleased to be supporting HSE’s Working Minds campaign which aims to support businesses to promote good mental health among their staff. Mind has long been working with employers of different sizes and sectors to help them create mentally healthy workplaces, but this has never been more important. This campaign couldn’t have come at a better time, given the impact the pandemic has taken on employers and staff.”

Working Minds is aimed specifically at supporting small businesses by providing employers and workers with easy to implement advice, including simple steps to introduce employers to the principles of the stress management standards, that directs employers to Make it Routine by Reaching out, Recognising, Responding and Reflecting.

For more about information about Working Minds, or to sign up as a campaign champion, visit our campaign website.