Frequently asked questions

Find out why they are holding back first, as the reasons differ between SMEs and large companies. Then start small with the people you can reach, and use what they achieve as your evidence.

Agree before any talk what it should lead to and who will follow up. Then get each team to try one change, and report back on what changed.

You need all four. Where you start depends on your gaps.

Set clear and realistic expectations, check in regularly, respond calmly when something goes wrong and deal with behaviour that affects the team. Staff tend to follow what their manager does more than what they are told.

Managers notice changes, ask, listen and help the person reach support. They do not diagnose, counsel or ask for personal details. Keeping the conversation on work and what would help keeps it appropriate.

Managers need the same support they are asked to give: a realistic workload, training, someone to talk to and peers in the same position. Without it, they burn out and their teams feel it.

Start with figures already in your systems, and work out what one resignation costs you. Your own figure will convince finance more than a published estimate.

An engagement survey does not measure well-being. Use a psychosocial risk survey such as iWorkHealth to find what at work is causing stress, and PRISM to check whether your organisation has the systems to manage it.

Yes. Two WSQ courses are funded at 50% to 70% for eligible staff, and the Network fully funds 2 places per organisation on Foundational Psychological First Aid while places last.

Start with the people who can change how work is done: your Champions first, then line managers, then Peer Supporters.

Start with two people: one trained Champion, and an owner or manager who backs the work. Use what is already free, and learn from other companies through the Network.

Agree the role in writing before you appoint anyone, covering choice, training, time, recognition and term.

Agree three roles before you start - a sponsor, a programme lead and an escalation lead - so no Peer Supporter carries this work alone.

Keep conversations private unless someone’s life or safety is at risk or the law requires action, and record that support took place, not what was said. For legal responsibility, get advice for your own situation.

Notice changes, ask privately, listen, let them lead, connect them to help and follow up. If you are worried about suicide, ask directly and get help together.

Plan it together with the employee, and start before their first day back. Agree the work, what colleagues are told and how you will check in, and build up gradually where you can.

Acknowledge the loss, make specific offers of help and keep checking in over the following months. Grief does not follow a timetable, so be patient and flexible with leave and work.

Make people safe, tell them what has happened and what will happen next, offer practical support and keep checking on people over the following weeks. Do not push anyone to talk about it.

Raise it early and in private. Talk about the work, not the person, ask what is getting in the way and agree support for a set period.

Start with work, not feelings. Ask about energy, workload or what is making the day harder, and offer practical help.

Anxiety often looks like over-preparing, worrying about mistakes, not delegating or checking messages all the time, so it is easy to mistake for hard work. Make expectations clear, cut unnecessary urgency and make it normal to say “I’m finding this hard”.

When distress lasts despite rest, or starts to affect someone’s work and relationships, self-care alone is not enough. Encourage them to talk to a doctor or counsellor, and make the routes to help clear and easy to use.

Make flexible work easy to ask for, train managers to have supportive conversations and point caregivers to practical help. Small changes, such as a later start on appointment days, often help most.

You do not need to become a financial adviser. Make it acceptable to talk about money worries, point staff to confidential help and check that pay and benefits keep up with costs.

Focus on what helps people work well, not on labels. Clear written instructions, predictable deadlines, time to process information and attention to noise and light help neurodivergent colleagues, and many others too.

Unfortunately, no. Resilience training helps people cope, but it does not change the work that is causing the burnout. Find and fix the causes, and offer training alongside.

Ask regularly, respond well the first time someone raises it, and show what changed as a result.

Keep them safe, assure them there will be no retaliation, keep the matter confidential and offer support. Keep the people who support them separate from the people who investigate.

Tell staff early what is decided and what is not, explain what changes for each role, and involve the people who do the work in how the tool is used.

Agree as a team when replies are expected and what counts as urgent, and ask leaders to keep to the same rules. National guidance already encourages employers to do this.

People keep working when time off feels risky or no one can cover their work. Make it safe to take sick leave, including for mental health, and look at the workload behind it.

Staff follow what gets praised and promoted. Change what leaders reward and do themselves, and make it acceptable to say when the workload is too much.

Protect them from abuse, give them clear backing when a customer crosses the line and build short check-ins and peer support into their shifts. Frontline staff often have the least access to support that is designed for office staff.

It is often a sign of burnout, unfair workload, little recognition or not feeling safe to speak up, rather than a poor attitude. Find out what is behind it before treating it as a performance problem.

Keep conversations private unless someone’s life or safety is at risk or the law requires action, and record that support took place, not what was said. For legal responsibility, get advice for your own situation.

Whether to legislate is a decision for the Government and the tripartite partners. National guidance is already in place, and employers already have to manage risks to safety and health at work, so there is no reason to wait.

No. We recommend managing mental well-being as part of workplace safety and health, with People Leaders and Safety Leaders working to one joint plan.

They are parts of how work is designed, organised and managed that can affect people’s mental health, such as too much work, unclear roles or bullying. Find them the way you find physical hazards: ask staff, check your figures, then act on the biggest risks first.