The role of leaders and line managers in supporting wellbeing at work

• Maintain an open dialogue with colleagues about wellbeing at work and demonstrate that wellbeing matters. Examples might include encouraging colleagues to work sensible hours and to take breaks when possible. 
• Familiarise yourself with with wellbeing policies and support measures in place in your organisation, and highlight workplace wellbeing initiatives to colleagues. 
• It is important to have regular one-to-one contact with colleagues. This can include informal conversations as well as organised meetings. Regular discussions with colleagues can help you to be aware of any difficulties they are experiencing that might have an impact on their wellbeing. In addition, establishing connections with your colleagues can make it easier for them to let you know if they are going through a difficult time. 
• Consider the use of a Wellness Action Plan with those you manage. This is a personalised, practical tool everyone can use, whether or not they have a mental health problem, to help identify what keeps people well and how to address a mental health difficulty at work. 
• Take care of your own wellbeing. Leadership roles and people management responsibilities can be demanding and can add to other sources of stress in your work. In addition, being seen to take care of your own wellbeing reinforces the message that wellbeing at work matters. For example, if you are in the habit of taking a break during the working day, it enables colleagues to feel that they too can take breaks. 
• Additional practical advice for managers on supporting wellbeing at work, including discussing wellbeing with colleagues, can be found in Bupa’s Open up at Work guide, available on Bupa’s website.

Have you seen our funded research that explored workplace stressors and mental wellbeing of veterinary surgeons in the UK with autism?