The promotion of mental well-being in the workplace is evident at every level: guidelines, practical measures and a culture of open discussion. The key priority is to detect challenges as early as possible and prevent problems proactively.
Work to promote mental well-being at Orion is carried out throughout the organisation.
“Although mental well-being is a subjective experience, it must be promoted at every level by all parties. Well-being at work is created in day-to-day operations in the workplace. It cannot be brought from outside the organisation,” says Leena Katila-Keso, Head of the Occupational Health Care Unit.
Orion’s key goals include recognising challenges related to mental well-being as early as possible and collectively finding individual solutions to support working capacity. To support this work, Orion has developed the Mental Support operating model.
Supervisors play a key role in promoting mental well-being in the workplace. For this reason, the training and coaching provided to supervisors at Orion increasingly take account of aspects related to mental health and mental well-being in terms of early detection and intervention, for example. This can benefit all team members.
In addition to training, the importance of mental well-being is communicated in various ways to Orion’s employees, so that they are aware of all the forms of support and all the tools available. Key goals also include making discussions about mental well-being and addressing challenges a natural part of daily life in the workplace community.
For example, Orion’s employees have access to extensive digital self-study materials on the various aspects of mental health, as well as tests that help employees recognise their situation. Links to further information are also provided.
Orion has been granted the right to use the Supporting Mental Health at Work label issued by MIELI Mental Health Finland. This has further boosted the promotion of mental well-being in the company. Organisations that seek to support mental health can apply for the label, which primarily serves as encouragement. It encourages workplaces to pay more attention to factors that protect mental well-being at work, as well as stress factors.
“Orion continuously seeks to develop activities to promote employees’ mental well-being,” says Katja Kärkkäinen, Wellbeing Manager.
The label comes with practical tools for the assessment and further development of practices that support mental well-being. Future measures to promote mental well-being at Orion have been scheduled in great detail, and the results are reviewed annually.
Such measures are planned and coordinated by a working group assigned to ensure the inclusion of different perspectives: the group includes members from the Occupational Health Care Unit, HR and the EHS department, which is responsible for occupational safety.
“Psychosocial factors play an important role in the workplace. When an employee is also mentally capable to work and function, they have the energy to pay attention to safety aspects in their work and develop safe ways of working,” says Sari Kuki, Coordinator, EHS and Competence.
When Orion was granted the right to use the Supporting Mental Health at Work label, the company also received feedback on its work to promote mental well-being. Orion received positive feedback on its open and confidential culture of discussion and how mental well-being is promoted through digital solutions and knowledge-based management.
Pulse Surveys for all employees are carried out twice a year. The results provide supervisors with information about well-being and cooperation within teams and feedback on supervisory work. The Empowered Personnel discussions serve as a direct link between supervisors and their team members.
“Through Pulse Surveys and the Empowered Personnel discussions, support can be better targeted at where stress is detected,” says Katja Kärkkäinen.
Text: Sanna Jäppinen
6 October 2022
