Work in Tune with Life
8th Initiative (2009 - 2010)
This initiative developed Guides for Mental Health at the Work and documented good practice in managing psychosocial risks in the workplace. 22 European countries were involved in the project.
Objectives
The objectives of the initiative were to:
| Increase the awareness of companies and the general public about the needs and benefits of mental health promotion at work |
| Attract companies to take part in the campaign and convince them that investments in workplace mental health promotion initiatives are worthwhile. |
| Design practical measures and models for promoting mental health in workplace settings and encourage an exchange of experience in this field |
Description/Methodology
This initiative ran national campaigns on the issue, produced campaign materials. It aimed to collect evidence for undertaking workplace mental health promotion, package it in easy to use formats and disseminate them as widely as possible. Three main activities were undertaken:
| Gathering and packaging information to produce Guides for employers, employees and the business case for implementing mental health promotion |
| Identifying and documenting good practice in companies |
| Developing materials for a major EU thematic conference in the area. |
Major component of these materials was the Edinburgh Declaration on Mental Health Promotion in the workplace, which stands alongside the Luxembourg and Cardiff Declarations as major policy documents produced by the ENWHP.
Main findings
The Thematic conference also produced a set of conclusions and recommendations aimed at policy makers and practitioners. The main recommendations from the conference And the project were:
| Establish prevention and health promotion in the workplace, as a task incumbent on health policy. |
| Create co-operation opportunities between the occupational safety and health sectors, for example, by linking workplace health protection measures with prevention measures from the area of occupational safety. |
| Make enterprises aware of the potential offered by mental disorder prevention and mental health promotion in the workplace. |
| Disseminate beneficial examples of enterprise culture, work organisation and management practices supporting the mental health of employees. |
| Encourage early intervention programmes for employees with mental health problems. |
| Support measures to aid the occupational rehabilitation of persons suffering from or recovering from mental disorders. |
| Increase the inclusion of workplace health promotion and mental health in occupational medicine and safety. |
| Improve data and evidence regarding mental health and well-being in the workplace. |
Outputs
POLICY
- The Edinburgh Declaration on the Promotion of Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing
GUIDES
- The business case for mental health
- Promoting mental health in the workplace – employers resource
- Creating a mentally healthy workplace – employees resource
GOOD PRACTICE
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
Countries involved
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Kingdom.