‘Workplace wellbeing’ is an often-used phrase, and can mean different things to different people. The core definition, however, remains the same - it relates to a staff member’s physical, mental, and emotional health, encompassing factors like job satisfaction, work-life balance, stress management, and a positive work environment.
Of course, workplace wellbeing is important for an individual, but data suggests that approaching mental health support in any practice as a strategic management issue can also be good for business performance, too.
However, a lot of workplace initiatives, abeit well-intended, tend to be operational and reactive to an evident or suspected need, says Katie Buckingham, founder of mental health training consultancy Altruist Enterprises. With all this being said, if a practice is serious about improving and implementing wellbeing in the workplace, where’s the best place to start?
Where should an architecture practice start when it comes to improving mental wellbeing in the workplace?
An organisation might decide to train one or more volunteer mental health first-aiders, for instance, and let everyone know they are available. But without further support, their role can become limited. `
A more effective approach, Katie suggests, is to have a wellbeing strategy in place that encompasses such initiatives. This will help to gain an understanding of where a practice’s starting point is by carrying out some form of audit - getting staff to buy into the process through their involvement - and developing a business case both from a budget perspective and a resource perspective.
But this is just a suggested start. Drawing on Altruist’s freely-available Workplace Mental Wellbeing Strategy Guide, Katie outlines five steps practices can take now:
1. Develop a business case
Constructing a business case for mental health at work should lead to general buy-in of the initiative at senior management level. Research from The Prince's Responsible Business Network (PDF) indicates that 30% of the UK workforce will be diagnosed with a mental health condition at some point in their lifetime, and it's widely recognised that architecture has particular problems with a long-hours and deadline-driven culture.
Ninety per cent of respondents in RIBA's own Workplace Conditions and Wellbeing Report disclosed that they worked overtime, and 52% indicated that their role impacted their mental health negatively.
With all this being said, it's important to recognise how mental health issues manifest. Here are some of the most common:
- Presenteeism, where employees are present but underperforming;
- Absenteeism, regularly staying away from work or school without good reason;
- Leavism, where staff members use allocated time off, like annual leave, to work or catch up on tasks instead of taking a break.
At the same time the case can be made for better staff recruitment and retention. It's known that younger architects particularly are placing greater value on work-life balance, inclusive work environments and a more supportive working environment.
2. Gather information through a wellbeing audit
Katie says that it’s essential to understand where an organisation is starting from so that any strategy is tailored to a workforce’s specific needs.
This could include gathering employee feedback on any existing support for health and wellbeing, such as levels of awareness of existing policies and initiatives, levels of take-up of options such as flexible working or access to a mental health first aider.
Anonymised staff surveys can be used to ask whether people feel comfortable talking to line managers about personal and wellbeing issues, while line managers can reveal how confident they feel about supporting members of their team.
Informal discussions with staff focus groups can gather feedback on what is working well and where improvements might be made.
3. Writing a strategy
A clear mental wellbeing strategy can identify actions to be taken, informed by the picture that has been built up through the audit process.
Katie suggests that ideas for action might be grouped under:
- Communication and engagement (wellbeing check-ins with managers and awareness events);
- Training and coaching for building awareness;
- Policies and processes. Existing policies on absences or stress may have to be reviewed, she suggests.
4. Launching and implementing the strategy
Implementing a strategy will require clear communication and engagement across the practice. As staff participation is essential for sustaining a wellbeing program, employees should be aware of their role in its success, Katie says.
Employees will want to understand how a strategy impacts them, so messages should be tailored to different roles, such as line managers. Staff should also understand how they have been involved in shaping the strategy so when it’s time to launch a strategy it doesn’t come as a surprise.
Browse RIBA’s mental health guidance and resources.
5. Evaluating the strategy
Evaluating a practice strategy allows you to measure the impact and effectiveness of the changes implemented. Altruist suggests that managers should focus on key questions through regular assessments.
- Have we achieved our objectives?
- Has there been a change in data and feedback?
- What difference has the strategy made?
- What have we learned?
- Where can we improve?
Evaluation should be an ongoing process, integrated into your strategy delivery plan. This will allow a practice to track progress, identify what is working, and make necessary adjustments. It can also be a way to maintain momentum and engagement across the organisation.
The Altruist Wellbeing Forum is a free online community for HR professionals and Wellbeing Champions. It meets quarterly and already includes architects interested in engaging with fellow professionals. The forthcoming topic will be implementing culture change.
Download Altruist’s Workplace Mental Wellbeing Strategy Guide.
Thanks to Katie Buckingham, Altruist.
Text by Neal Morris. This is a Professional Feature edited by RIBA Practice team. Send us your feedback and ideas.
RIBA Core Curriculum topic: Inclusive environments.
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