The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, (Acas) has found that over a third (36%) of British employers have seen their mental health support improve since the start of COVID-19.

This finding is the result of research commissioned by Acas and undertaken by YouGov to ask UK businesses whether they had seen a change to employee mental health and wellbeing support in their organisation since the start of the pandemic. The key findings are below:

• Over a third (36%) said it had got better
  
• Nearly one in ten (9%) said it had got worse
  
• Half (50%) reported it as staying the same
  
• 6% of employers did not know

While working through the stresses of COVID-19 may have accelerated the workplace mental health discussion among some firms, for those that aren’t as engaged with mental health, Acas has provided the following tips to help employers manage workforce mental health during the pandemic:

• Be approachable, available and encourage team members to talk to you if they’re having problems.
  
• Keep in regular contact with your team to check how they are coping.
  
• Be understanding towards the concerns and needs of your staff while they work in new or unexpected ways. For example, working from home or managing childcare while working.
  
• Address any individual communication preferences such as asking team members if they prefer to talk over the phone, through video meetings, or by email.
  
• Look after your own mental health and get support if you feel under more pressure than usual. This support could be a colleague at work, a mental health network, or a counsellor.

For more information about mental health support in the workplace, visit the Acas site here.