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Work is a place where employees should feel safe, respected and valued, a place where they feel comfortable to speak up and speak out, especially when they have a professional or personal concern. To encourage staff confidence and support employees who require help, workplaces, organizations and managers should be encouraged to implement a wellness action plan, a tool developed to help you improve your well-being. The wellness action plan is a smart system delivered through an evidence-based process consisting of a personal document that is not legally binding but is written by employees and shared with supervisors and individual managers. This tool is used to promote ongoing discussions between the employee and the manager. Having a wellness action plan which is used correctly will create an awareness of mental health in the workplace and will encourage staff on how to support an employee with a mental ill health.

If your organization does not have a wellness action plan, you may consider setting one up for your team. However, whilst creating this plan, you must always consider the confidentiality between the employee and the manager, unless the employee consents to it being shared further. You may consider the following questions while you meet to create your wellness action plan. Employees should consider: The steps they can take to manage stress and mental ill health in the workplace, previous support and workplace adjustments, what has and has not worked in the past, what may have triggered mental ill health in the workplace, their ability to work when they are well and happy, how they can support their own well-being, the signs and symptoms of mental ill health, how a particular mental health problem might affect their work, and the support they might need from their supervisor or manager.

The wellness action plan is also designed to assist the manager, and as such, it can: Initiate the conversation with an employee around mental ill health, support you to understand your employees experiences and needs, identify special considerations or reasonable adjustments, provide the appropriate support to help employees return to work after an absence, and create positive influence for new employees to the organization, demonstrating your commitment to their well-being.

The wellness action plan will hopefully help the employee to: Identify what makes them feel unwell, encourage them to talk about the support they need, share things that help keep them well, discuss their experiences, and finally, to feel empowered and in control.