The Sunday Times, powered by WorkL, has revealed the The best places to work in the UK by 2024 and has included MQ Mental Health Research in the small organization category.
This national workplace survey honors and celebrates Britain’s leading employers, comprising over 500 organizations across all sectors and sizes, and recognizes the best workplaces for women, LGBTQIA+, disabled employees , ethnic minorities, young and older workers and well-being.
“We are very proud that MQ is recognized as a fantastic place to work. It is a testament to the positive culture created by the senior leadership team here and a wonderful way to honor our late CEO, Lea Milligan, who worked so hard to implement flexible policies and create a supportive atmosphere for our high-performing team. ”.
Mandy Hamerla, HR director, MQ Mental Health Research
How the survey works
The Sunday Times has partnered with employee experience platform WorkL to offer new insights into what makes a better place to work. The Sunday Times Best Places to Work awards survey uses 26 questions from WorkL’s employee engagement survey, developed by behavioral scientists, data analysts, psychologists, business leaders, academics and other independent parties to more accurately monitor the employee engagement, well-being, and discretionary effort in the workplace. . To achieve a high overall engagement score, an organization must score well on WorkL’s six-step framework:
- Reward and recognition
- Instilling pride
- The exchange of information
- Empowerment
- Welfare
- Work satisfaction
Practicing what we preach
Improving mental health in the workplace has been a focus area for MQ research. Since work itself is increasingly recognized as a major factor in mental illness. Working conditions, stress levels and even the work environment can have a huge impact on mental health, which in turn can affect performance.
Last year, MQ partnered with Peopleful and Northwest University’s WorkWell Research Center to conduct a cross-sector study on workplace dynamics in the UK and Ireland.
In a report published in September, 1 in 4 employees across the UK were found to be at high risk of burnout, with a further 22% showing signs of stress-related health problems.
One result is an increasing number of people falling ill or dropping out of the workforce altogether.
But there are things employers can do to support their staff and create great work environments. Here are some of the things that have made MQ a great place to work:
- Promote open communication – Employers can create a culture of openness and transparency where employees feel comfortable talking about their stress levels and concerns. Encouraging regular check-ins between employees and managers can help identify and address stressors before they become overwhelming.
- Offer employee assistance programs. (EAP): EAPs can provide employees with access to counseling, therapy, and other resources to help manage stress and mental health issues.
- Provide flexibility – Flexible work arrangements, such as working from home or flexible schedules, can help employees manage work-life balance and reduce stress.
- Create a supportive work environment – Employers can create a work environment that promotes employee well-being. Encouraging team-building activities and social events can also help employees feel supported and connected.
- Address workplace stressors – Employers can identify and address workplace stressors, such as heavy workloads or interpersonal conflicts, through job redesign or conflict resolution strategies.
- Train mental health first responders – Employers could consider training employees to become Mental health first aid.
You can read the full list of the 500 best places to work in the Sunday Times website here.
