Companies of all sizes have been focussing on both the health and welfare of their employees in recent years, but not until recently have they paid similar attention on the mental health of their staff.

When the Confederation of British Industry canvassed its members they found 90 per cent agreed employers should show concern for the mental health of their staff and employees. Yet only one in10 of their member companies had actually drawn up a stress management and mental health in the workplace policy.

With more and more the workforce spending an increasing amount of their time at their places of work, the state of their mental health is becoming ever more important. This alone should ensure that stress management and mental health in the workplace is as equally as important as other employee health and safety issues. Indeed, it could be argued that stress management and mental health issues should be of paramount importance.

It is welcome news that firms are becoming increasingly aware of mental health concerns in the workplace, encouraging management and staff to cope better with work related stress through attendance at courses.

Mental health awareness courses are of great benefit to workers. It makes them aware of stress and gives them the skills to deal with it. It also enables them to recognise signs of work related stress when it appears in colleagues.

These courses on mental health and stress in the workplace are also crucial for companies themselves. The effects of stressed out employees can have a detrimental affect on productivity and that leads to a fall in profits. Stress can also lead to other problems in the workforce, including absenteeism. Allowing employees to attend mental health in the workplace courses will help those already struggling with stress to deal with it, and allow others to guard against its effects and deal with it should it occur.

A huge benefit from attending mental health in the workplace awareness courses is that both management and staff will gain vital knowledge recognising stress and by learning what makes it occur.

Mindworks Training are based in East Yorkshire and offer corporate mental health training courses including Stress Managemnt Training for employers wishing to increase the effectiveness of their workforce by raising awareness of stress and other mental health issues