Festive blues – how to support employee mental health

For most, December is a joyous and festive time of year, but it is also important to recognise the potential difficulties that can arise during this period for some employees. Crucially, the workplace can add to this pressure but also play a part in easing any burden. At Acas, we want employers to understand the value in open communication and honest conversations when it comes to supporting employee mental health and wellbeing.

Photograph: iStock/Dragos Condrea

What are the challenges of December?

There are various challenges that can make life difficult throughout the festive period, but there are certain challenges that the workplace/employers can acknowledge and provide support for.

Increased workload

December can be a demanding and stressful period for many businesses and sectors. During this time, there are tight deadlines as Christmas approaches, more colleagues taking leave and end-of-year targets to be met. In sectors such as retail, this is one of the busiest periods of the year with more footfall, longer opening/working hours, supporting temporary staff, additional social interaction, and even potentially missing out on being at home with family and friends.

Financial pressures

Christmas also comes with the added pressure of gift-giving and extra expense. This is not just limited to family and friends and can include colleagues and the workplace as well. Work-related financial pressures include attending work parties, social events and gift-giving, all of which can make employees feel obliged to attend and spend money on. Another element to consider for employees is potentially arranging additional childcare while children are off school.

Social interaction

The pressures of social interaction can have significant effects on employees’ mental health, especially during December where there is an expectation to interact with family, friends and colleagues. Some employees may be having to spend the holiday period without loved ones, while others may not have strong social connections. Both can lead to feelings of loneliness, exclusion and isolation. Also, some people may not enjoy participating in gatherings, but there is still an expectation of them to be involved. Pairing these pressures with potentially having to interact with more customers, service users and colleagues this month can be an additional burden.

Seasonal affective disorder – SAD

SAD can also contribute to mental health struggles; this is also known as the ‘winter depression’ due to being more prominent in the winter months. As there is reduced sunlight and a shorter amount of daylight throughout the day, this can have a negative effect on employees’ mood, concentration, energy and overall mental wellbeing. These feelings can be exacerbated with workplace pressures of increased workload, financial and social expectations.

Open communication and honest conversation

Creating an environment where employees feel safe and supported to discuss their mental health is crucial, especially in December. Julie Dennis, head of inclusive workplaces policy at Acas, highlights: “We know from recent research and from talking to people ourselves, employees are far more likely to disclose mental health struggles, ask for support and reasonable adjustments when they feel they are in a safe and supportive work environment.”

A safe and supportive work environment develops through employers empowering employees to have open communication and honest conversations. When employees feel they can communicate openly and have honest conversations with their employers, they can confidently and comfortably ask for support without fear of judgement and negative consequences.

How can employers have open communication and honest conversation?

Build trust

When employees trust that their employers are genuinely interested in their wellbeing and are committed to supporting them, they are more likely to communicate their needs openly. Trust can be developed through regular check-ins, continued conversations, two-way dialogue and creating a culture where mental health is openly discussed and supported.

Promote transparency

Ironically, transparency comes from employers being visible. Employers should show they are there to listen, share resources/support (such as employee assistance programmes and mental health first aiders) and make clear and open lines of communication. Transparency reassures employees their concerns will be taken seriously and addressed appropriately.

Address concerns effectively

When employees feel their concerns are acknowledged and addressed, they are more likely to engage in open communication and honest conversations. Employers should actively listen to employees, take on board what is being said, and work collaboratively to find solutions and resolve conflict. This can allow employers to avoid similar conflict in the future, resolves issues earlier and demonstrates to employees the importance placed on their mental health.

Check-in and check understanding

Regularly checking in and checking understanding is crucial to avoid miscommunication or misunderstanding, but it also shows the value placed on employees’ wellbeing, and again helps to avoid conflict, resolve issues earlier and give employees a chance to voice concerns earlier as well. Checking understanding also allows employers and employees to review any form of support in place, as what may have worked previously may not work right now, so this ensures employees have the best form of support that they need.

What else can help?

Creating a culture with open communication and honest conversations allows employers to talk to their employees, and employees to talk to their employers. It is important to acknowledge employee mental health can be affected in any month and time of year, however December comes with its own challenges.

As well as communicating, there are other forms of support that can ease the burden of December, such as reasonable adjustments. Reasonable adjustments are changes an employer makes to remove/reduce a disadvantage related to someone’s mental health or disability. Similar to creating an environment with open communication and honest conversations, most mental health reasonable adjustments are relatively simple, easy to do and free. For more support on this, see the Acas guidance on mental health reasonable adjustments and how to support mental health at work.

For more advice on supporting employee wellbeing see:

acas.org.uk

linkedin.com/company/acas/

@acasorguk

Ruhel Ahmed is a senior policy advisor at Acas.