Policy Purpose
DPD prioritises the health and wellbeing of our staff and is committed to creating a supportive and psychologically safe environment where our staff can flourish. This Mental Health and Wellbeing policy outlines our provisions to prevent and address mental health issues among our staff. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Mental illness may be detrimental to a person, which can impact our happiness, productivity, and collaboration.
Scope
This policy applies to all staff members of DPD Ireland
Statement of Commitment
We understand that mental health is impacted on by a range of individual factors, and factors including the working environment, and our workplace relationships with others. As such we are committed to:
Actively promoting positive mental health.
Enabling individuals to develop and manage their own mental health.
Helping those experiencing mental health difficulties, as far as possible to recover.
Building and maintaining organisational systems that impact positively on mental health, promote equality and reduce stigma around mental health.
Values
The values that inform our behaviour in relation to mental health mirror our organisational values of respect, underpinned by our equality, diversity, and inclusion commitments
Policy Objectives
The objectives of this policy are to outline how DPD Ireland complies with legal obligations contained in the :
Employment Equality Acts 1998–2011 and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and our approach to supporting the development of positive mental health for all our employees.
Raise awareness across the organisation and at all levels about the importance of promoting mental health in the workplace.
Help each individual learn how to take responsibility for managing their own mental health effectively, and learn how they can enable/support the mental health of others.
Eliminate or reduce organisational risk factors in relation to mental health (e.g. bullying, stress, discrimination or harassment), wherever possible.
Enable positive mental health and equality in practice through the provision of timely and appropriate reasonable accommodation and supports for individuals who are experiencing mental health difficulties or mental illness.
Policy Definitions Mental Health
The World Health Organisation defines mental health as:
A state of well-being in which the individual realises their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to their community.
Legal Responsibilities
We are fully committed to complying with our responsibilities under the Employment Equality Acts 1998–2011. We recognise that mental health difficulties (e.g. stress, anxiety, and depression) are covered by the Disability ground under the Employment Equality Acts, and we are committed to the provision of reasonable accommodation, where appropriate and necessary. We are also committed to our legal responsibilities under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005, including identifying and assessing psychosocial risk (e.g. stress or bullying), and reducing such risks.
In the event that we are aware of individual employees with mental health difficulties we will work with them to identify particular risks and seek to implement measures to reduce those risks.
Disclosure
There is no obligation on any staff member to disclose that they have a mental health difficulty. A mental health difficulty may not impact on a person’s capability to carry out the demands of their job and in this case, they may feel there is no reason to disclose. However, it is difficult for us to support appropriately a staff member if we are unaware of any difficulties they are experiencing. We are committed to working positively with anyone disclosing information about their mental health difficulties, so that we can identify what may help them to function productively in work. A disclosure will usually take place between a staff member and their line manager in the first instance; however, a staff member may choose to speak to one of our Mental Health First Aiders or to one of the People Team. In the case of a disclosure that has arisen due to a mental health difficulty interfering with the individual’s ability to do their job, we will adopt a partnership approach with the individual to explore and clarify the following:
What difficulties is the person experiencing, and how is this stopping/hampering the person doing their job?
What supports (reasonable accommodations) would be needed to “close the gap” and enable the person to be fully capable to carry out the demands of their job?
How do we make a decision about reasonable accommodation, and how do we effectively and sensitively communicate that decision?
How do we effectively and sensitively implement a reasonable accommodation? In order for this partnership approach to be successful, it is necessary for the individual to be open to disclosing their current difficulties and to exploring options through conversation.
The aim of this supportive conversation is to explore and identify how we can work together in order for them to be able to carry out their work in a safe and supported way. It is difficult to help a staff member if they are unwilling to engage with the supports and resources that are available to them, or talk through how solutions can be found. We are committed to respect for individual privacy and confidentiality. Information that is disclosed to us will be treated sensitively and will be stored in accordance with our legal responsibilities under the Data Protection legislation.
Case by Case Basis
No two people will experience a mental health difficulty the same way. Each person will be supported on a case-by-case basis. We will adopt a partnership approach, through conversation, working with each individual to explore what support options are most suitable for them. In some cases, this may be to signpost counselling supports; reorganise workload; an individual may require some leave on compassion grounds; or they may be referred to our Occupational Health provider who will perform a health assessment and map out how best to support the individual.
Related Policies
Sick Leave
Dignity at Work
Grievance Procedure
Diversity and Inclusion Policy
Health and Safety Policy/Safety Statement
All policies listed can be found on People Online. This list is not exhaustive.
All of these policies aim to preserve a harmonious workplace and promote our positive culture where staff can flourish and balance their jobs with their personal lives.
Additional Resources for Individuals
For information on health and wellbeing supports available to you visit the ‘Supporting your Wellbeing’ on Out of the Box.
We offer an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that gives our staff the support that they need to help them manage their health and wellbeing issues effectively. Our Laya Healthcare EAP provides free, confidential, professional counselling available to you and your family (16 years old+) 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Freephone ROI: 1800 911 909
Download the Laya Healthcare Digital App “Your Wellbeing” for resources curated by experts on areas of our wellbeing and lifestyle such as sleep, nutrition, anxiety, exercise videos and more.
Mental Health Awareness
To raise mental health awareness and combat the stigmas associated with them, we have committed to:
∙ Providing Mental Health Awareness Training for all Managers and Team leaders
∙ Promoting Mental Health Awareness initiatives
∙ Proactively support staff wellbeing.
This policy will be reviewed and updated as required annually by the People Team. Any significant changes will be communicated to staff.
P.O Doc 21
Issue Date: 1st April 2024
Revision Date: 12th June 2024
Next Review Date: 1st April 2025
Documented by: Steven Thacker
Approved by: Mary Gaffey