The graphic below highlights the huge impact to business of the importance of staff well-being.

This never ceases to amaze me. Gone are the days when depression was not spoken about; someone was feeling a bit unwell….in the modern age, one important difference is the wealth of information about types of depression, the diagnosis of the illness and ways to combat it. What is not moving as fast is the awareness of how ignoring the health of your employees will have a detrimental cost to business.   Slowly, the larger companies are putting in place budgets to allow employees to receive well-being training. The penny has literally stopped dropping – it seems a no-brainer; happy staff, productive business.  But what about the masses?

Having a background in education, I have witnessed firsthand the increasing pressure put upon teachers from government to raise standards, get higher up the league tables, add value, fill out more inane forms, adopt ever-changing curriculums within ridiculous timescales. No wonder some crack, feel depressed, no wonder there is an exodus of high quality teachers who have left the profession early. Where is the support?

No one has a perfect life, we all have major issues that often collide with us head on when we are least expecting it. There is no doubt that the old adage. ‘don’t bring your troubles to work’ no longer works. In this world, our troubles are everywhere. We cannot escape them usually due to the constant connection of the mobile phone and social media era. For the few, work is their escape, a safe haven, yet without a balanced mind, surely even their work cannot be as productive as someone at peace?

We spend years of our lives at work. If you are not happy with your actual job, you look for one that will, For many, fulfilment in their job is like the holy grail. What happens when you are unhappy with YOU? How can you escape that? The you who once took everything in your stride is now living with an inherent disability, a dis-ease that won’t magically disappear in a day, month or year. Without addressing the maintaining cause, pretending all is well will simply not work. You cannot put a sticking plaster over depression – where do you stick it?There is much in the news about the need for mindfulness, happiness…my dad’s era would just laugh and think it was all new-fangled mumbo jumbo, but those of us living in this more open environment know that there is a far-reaching necessity to allow others to help us deal with the darkness inside of us.

We will all have different ways of coping, some seek the medical drugs, some are more aware of alternative ways to contribute to a more positive way of thinking. Whatever works, works.

As a business, of whatever size, I would urge those in charge to cater for the individual as a whole, not just as a work machine.  If you care for the whole person, that person feels supported, feels a connection to the company, will show loyalty and will work to the best of their ability, hopefully with happiness.

We need to wake up. Money is being frittered away. Look after your workforce and they will work for you. Simple eh?

Dream Big, Sparkle MORE, Shine BRIGHTLY