Mental health & wellbeing

B1  Engage with TSSA on issues regarding workplace culture, safety culture and inclusivity and share information on the same

B2  Sign the Rail Mental Health Charter or equivalent Employer Pledge demonstrating senior management support and commitment to end discrimination and stigma.

B3  Recognition of TSSA Health & Safety Representatives, and Equality Representatives (includes paid facility time)

B4  Have policies in place, develop new policies, or review existing policies in consultation with TSSA representatives, specifically policies that address:

• The preservation and promotion of mental health and wellbeing by all staff
• Supporting staff with mental ill health, including the roles and responsibilities of line managers
• Handling of disclosure of disability and other information
• Reasonable adjustments
• Tackling discrimination, bullying and harassment, with explicit examples of these on the grounds of disability or ill-health due to a mental health condition
• Mitigating mental health and wellbeing impacts in people-related procedures and others that are linked to the causes of stress at work including:
  • managing workplace change
  • performance appraisals, management and associated pay systems
  • workload, job design and evaluation
  • workforce development and planning
• Mental health and wellbeing in health and safety stress management and prevention
• Implementation of any employer guidelines or guidance that exists in the above policy areas in relation to mental health & wellbeing, that guidance will be followed unless there are circumstances that restrict the ability to follow the guidance. If a guidance is not followed there is a reason provided that will be made available to TSSA workplace representatives on request

B5  Establish a committee or action group, that includes TSSA Equality and Health & Safety representatives, whose remit it is to develop a mental health at work plan.

B6  Conduct Equality Impact Assessments and if applicable, comply with the public sector equality duty

B7  Conduct work-related stress assessment in conjunction with TSSA Health & Safety Representatives. This will comply with the HSE’s Stress Management Standards and TSSA Health & Safety policies and guidelines.

B8  Agreement / commitment in writing to work with TSSA and its workplace representatives on solutions and initiatives to maintain mental health wellbeing and reduce discrimination and stigma. This will give our members confidence that they will be able to freely engage in workplace mental health activities.

B9  All staff are communicated with regularly regarding the availability of information about mental health and wellbeing and how to access support for those affected by mental ill health, including the support provided by TSSA representatives.

B10  Provide paid release for any TSSA Representatives to attend TSSA approved mental health and wellbeing specialist training and continuing professional development (CPD), in addition to other union training specific to their role.

S1  Commit to participating in the RSSB Health & Wellbeing Index (Rail) or Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Index (All industries).

S2  Work with TSSA to produce and agree a mental health at work plan, that promotes a positive mental health and wellbeing culture, implementing recommendations from TSSA representatives and recognised mental health organisations.

S3  Agree to conduct training with staff to raise awareness of mental health & wellbeing and the impacts on people at work, with training content and provider agreed in consultation with TSSA Health & Safety Representatives.

S4  90% or more of line managers are provided with mental health awareness training suitable for their role and which builds on general staff training and establishes foundation competencies for managing health & Wellbeing; with training content and provider agreed in consultation with TSSA representatives. This will include providing reasonable adjustments for those affected by mental ill health and management practices that can reduce workplace stress and promote a healthy workplace culture

S5  Establish a monitoring and consultation process in relation to workplace mental health and wellbeing, including transparency and use of staff surveys, HR data and health and safety risk assessments, that feeds into the action group.

S6  People management processes and procedures, agreed in consultation with TSSA representatives, are put in place that encourage open conversation about mental health and the support available when people are struggling with appropriate workplace adjustments offered to employees who require them. 

S7  Provide TSSA Reps information on reasonable adjustments.

S8  Make available tailored in-house mental health support for staff that includes signposting to clinical help. This support is communicated widely to all staff, line managers and TSSA Representatives and offered again after upsetting or traumatic incidents.

S9  People are proactively signposted to the appropriate TSSA Representatives by the employer when there is an issue related to mental health and wellbeing.

S10  TSSA Health & Safety Representatives be provided access to induction events of new staff to help develop mental health and wellbeing awareness.

S11  Adopt/ honour/recognise TUC Reasonable Adjustment Passports to ensure continuation of reasonable adjustments throughout employment.

S12  Promote workplace healthy cultures approach in recruitment materials and processes.

G1  Joint campaigning with TSSA on mental health awareness and issues including workplace stress, addressing bullying and harassment, discrimination and stigma.

G2  Senior management provided with mental health awareness training suitable for their role and which builds on general staff training; this training content and provider agreed in consultation with TSSA representatives.

G3  A nominated health and wellbeing lead at Board or senior leadership level with clear reporting duties and responsibilities.

G4  Increase transparency and accountability through internal and external reporting, to include a leadership commitment and outline of the organisation’s progress on mental health.

G5  Develop disclosure processes to encourage openness during recruitment and good employer response following disclosure of mental ill health in consultation with TSSA representatives

G6  Mental health staff support networks established with TSSA involvement and provided with resources for activities and encouraged to work alongside other staff network groups where mental ill-health is known to be an issue (e.g. LGBT+, BAME).

G7  Implement training to develop line managers beyond the foundation competencies for Health & Wellbeing management determined by the RSSB

G8  Staff Networks established that include a focus on disability, mental health and wellbeing, and provided with resources for activity.

G9  Be socially responsible by community engagement and participation with community organisations and agencies, to strengthen support for staff and positive messaging, and service for passengers, doing this jointly with TSSA.

G10  Work collaboratively with TSSA to understand and address the impacts on mental health for those who face discrimination at work due to their protected characteristics or identity, or intersection between their identities.

G11  Evidence of meeting each level of the standard is provided to TSSA annually along with discussions on further company and joint initiatives. Where any of the above material is absent or unavailable, employers should remedy this shortfall and make it the subject of
discussion with TSSA.