City of Wolverhampton Council is providing free resources for employers across the city to help them support staff with stress and mental health issues.

The council’s environmental health team have joined forces with public health to provide the resources to help businesses and workers.

The aim is to provide simple advice and information about employers’ responsibilities, how they can identify issues and ways they can help their employees.

Figures from the national Health & Safety Executive show that mental health is the number one reason for work-related illness in the UK, and that more than 830,000 workers suffered from stress, depression or anxiety in 2020/2021.

To help local employers support their staff, the following free resources are available:

A workplace stress and wellbeing information leaflet can be downloaded from the council’s Stay Safe, Be Kind webpages at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/coronavirus-advice-and-information/stay-safe-be-kind

The leaflet looks at areas that can cause work-related stress and ideas on how to help including the introduction of mental health champions.

An information webinar is available to view at https://youtu.be/w1ds6BmlJWY

The webinar covers existing legal requirements, how to carry out a risk assessment, ways to recognise stress and mental health issues and tools to help.

In addition, and in partnership with Black Country Healthcare Trust, a number of free-to-access on-line mental health awareness training sessions will be made available to local employers to help support staff wellbeing.

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: “Stress and mental health issues affect many people and can have a significant impact on our working lives.

“But it is not always easy for employers to identify the best ways to look after the welfare and wellbeing of their staff.

“We’re offering these free resources to help our local businesses. I really hope they will help employers to find the best ways to offer support and guidance in the workplace.”

Businesses looking for further information and advice can contact City of Wolverhampton Council’s environmental health team via Environmental.Health@wolverhampton.gov.uk