The Need For Mental Health Support in the Workplace at an All Time High
31-05-2022
A new report by industry charity the Retail Trust has found that one in five (21%) British retail workers and nearly a third (31%) of people working for the UK’s biggest retailers are planning to quit the sector.
The Retail Trust’s survey of more than 1,500 retail staff, published within its new Health of Retail report, found that most of those intending to leave blame concerns around their finances, rising levels of abuse from customers, and deteriorating mental health coming out of the pandemic.
More than eight out of 10 (83%) said they have experienced a decline in their mental health in the last year, with retail workers aged between aged 16 and 29, those working in distribution and warehouses, and employees of larger retailers found to be struggling the most.
The pandemic has highlighted elevated concerns over personal mental health over the last two years. At Fashion-Enter Ltd (FEL) the team understands the importance of mental health and the wellbeing of employees and currently has staff members qualified in Level 2 Counselling and Mental Health First Aid.
FEL Pattern Cutting tutor Lan (pictured on the left with her students) has just completed a 2-day Mental Health course with Mind and is now a Mental Health First Aider at Fashion-Enter.
Lan commented: “I have just completed a Mental Health First Aider course with Mind in Haringey. The course teaches in-depth skills for providing first aid to people who may be experiencing mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and psychosis.
“Mental health issues are common, especially depression and anxiety. Research indicates that one in four will experience a mental health issue in any given year. People are often ashamed to discuss mental health issues, they may be reluctant to seek treatment and support for mental health issues because of their concerns about what others will think of them.
“Being a Mental Health First Aider means I am able to help and offer support to a person developing a mental health issue, experiencing a worsening of an existing mental health issue, or in a mental heath crisis until appropriate professional help is received. The course enables me to spot early signs of a mental health issue, how to offer and provide initial help, and guide a person towards appropriate professional and other sources of supportive help.”
