Chief people office of the UK Civil Service Rupert McNeil explains why he decided to speak publicly about his own mental health challenges – and what more employers should do to support their staff
Rupert McNeil, chief people officer at the UK Civil Service, tells People Management about his own battle with mental health issues and his decision to share his story in the hope that it will help others.
You recently blogged about your own struggles with mental health – what prompted you to share this with others?
I am strongly motivated by the belief that people need to lead by example. Many people in senior positions have conditions that they have dealt with and managed successfully. It's important that everyone knows this is possible, and that organisations and individual managers can, and should, be supportive. The catalyst for the piece was meeting the great mental health support group in the Welsh Government and seeing the workplace adjustment passport – a way for people to take their adjustments from post to post so they don’t have to start from scratch every time they change jobs º as a way for people to declare their disability confidently.
Why do you think the number of reported cases of mental ill health in the workplace is rising?
It is an interesting phenomenon. I think it may be that people are more willing to report it, and, as a society, we are more aware of mental health issues. But I do think that the ‘always on’ culture is not healthy, or the sign of an efficient workplace. It took me a long time – 20 years – to really believe that. We need time to live our lives outside work, with our families and with our other interests, and to ensure we make time to sleep, eat and exercise properly.
Are employers doing enough to recognise and deal with the workplace causes of mental ill health?
I think we are seeing a fundamental and positive shift in both recognition and support. Initiatives like the passport can make a big contribution to that shift, and I hope that increasingly people in all workplaces will feel that they can discuss these issues. Lots of organisations take part in initiatives like Mind’s Time to Change campaign, Mental Health Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day. This helps to break the stigma attached to talking about mental health. Managers are key and the best employers train managers to spot issues at an early stage and to access the help available to them and their team members. There is still more that can be done, but I do think we are moving in the right direction.
What difference did having a supportive employer make to you?
I believe that if I had not had a supportive employer, I could have become very ill indeed. There is potential for a vicious circle to develop when you can't keep up. Personally, they let me switch ‘off the grid’ to recover and were very attentive to make sure that my return to work was a success.
What advice would you give employees who are struggling with mental health conditions, but don’t feel able to talk about it?
Remember that you’re not alone and other people have similar issues. It may be difficult to have that first conversation, so try talking to a friend at work, someone you feel you can open up to. Think about why you are struggling to talk about it. Do you think people will treat you differently or you’ll be disadvantaged in some way? What I would say is that organisations have moved on from where they were and, if you talk to your manager, they will help you and signpost you to the support that is available. You might be surprised at how good it feels to talk and not have to worry anymore. I certainly did.
What advice would you give to employers about how to tackling mental ill health?
I think employers are already doing a lot in this arena. I hope that they will continue to raise awareness of mental health and break down the stigma attached to it. Managers play a crucial role and should be equipped to spot the signs of mental illness and deal with situations sensitively and in confidence. They also need to be helped to create and maintain healthy, wellbeing-focused workplaces.
Related links
Following the announcement of a new HR partnership between the CIPD and UK Civil Service, look out for an in-depth interview with Rupert McNeil in November’s issue of People Management.