Mental Health at Work: Are We Really Listening?

Hello Future Force Community!!!

Mental health at work is something we talk about a lot.

We talk about wellbeing initiatives, mental health awareness, resilience, employee assistance programmes and creating supportive workplaces.

But this year, World Mental Health Day asks us to think about something deeper:

Are we really listening to the people who experience mental health challenges – and are we allowing what they tell us to influence how we work?

The 2026 theme is “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change.” It is a reminder that listening is only the beginning. Real change happens when people's experiences help shape the decisions, policies, support and cultures around them.

And that has a powerful place in the workplace.

Mental health isn't just an HR issue

Mental health can affect anyone, at any stage of their career. It might be a new apprentice struggling with the transition from education into the workplace. It might be a manager feeling overwhelmed by increasing responsibility. It might be someone balancing work with caring responsibilities. It might be an experienced employee who has always appeared confident but is quietly struggling. Sometimes there are obvious signs. Sometimes there aren't.

That is why creating a mentally healthy workplace can't simply be about knowing what to do when someone reaches crisis point. It is about creating an environment where people feel able to say: “I'm struggling.” “I don't understand.” “I need some help.” “This isn't working for me.” And, perhaps most importantly: “Can we do something differently?”

Listening is a workplace skill

When someone tells us about their experience, our instinct can sometimes be to jump straight into problem-solving. “Have you tried…?” “You should speak to…” “Don't worry, it'll be fine.” But sometimes the most valuable thing we can do first is listen.

For employers and managers, that means developing the confidence to have better conversations – not necessarily becoming a mental health professional. It means being able to notice changes in behaviour, ask open questions, listen without judgement and understand when additional support is needed.

It also means recognising that the person experiencing the challenge is often the person best placed to tell us what would help. As Nancy Kline says, the mind that holds the problem holds the solution, and often the best one. 

From listening to action

Listening only makes a difference if something happens afterwards.

For businesses, that could mean:

• Reviewing workloads when someone says they are struggling with pressure.

• Giving people more clarity when uncertainty is creating stress.

• Making it easier to ask for support without fear of judgement.

• Training managers to have confident, compassionate conversations.

• Creating opportunities for employees to influence decisions that affect them.

• Checking whether workplace policies actually work for the people using them.

• Making wellbeing part of everyday conversations rather than something discussed once a year.

The Health and Safety Executive's Working Minds campaign similarly encourages employers to move beyond awareness and take practical action to prevent work-related stress, including looking at workload, communication, support, relationships and change.

What does this mean for apprentices?

At Future Force, we are particularly interested in this conversation because the transition into the workplace is a huge period of learning and change. For an apprentice, starting work can mean navigating a new environment, new expectations, new relationships and a completely different level of responsibility.

They are learning the technical side of their role, but they are also learning how to communicate, manage pressure, receive feedback, ask questions and find their place within a team. That is why supporting an apprentice's wellbeing isn't separate from developing them professionally. It is part of development.

An apprentice who feels able to speak up when something isn't right is more likely to ask for help before a problem becomes bigger. An apprentice who understands how to manage pressure is better equipped to cope with challenges. An apprentice who knows who they can turn to is less likely to feel they have to navigate everything alone. And a manager who knows how to have those conversations is better equipped to support the person in front of them.

We don't need to have all the answers

One of the biggest misconceptions around workplace mental health is that managers need to know exactly what to say. They don't. They need to know how to listen, respond appropriately and signpost to the right support.

It is also important to recognise the limits of a manager's role. Employers don't need their managers to diagnose mental health conditions or act as counsellors. They need to create the conditions for people to feel supported and know where to go when more specialist help is needed. Organisations such as Mind provide workplace resources and guidance for employers, managers and employees, helping businesses build their confidence and capability around mental health.

At Future Force, we believe people development is workplace development

This is at the heart of what we do. Whether we're supporting an apprentice, helping a manager develop their confidence or working with an organisation to strengthen its approach to people development, we believe that people don't become capable employees simply by learning the technical requirements of a job.

They need the skills, confidence and support to navigate the workplace too. That includes understanding themselves. Communicating effectively. Managing pressure. Having difficult conversations. Asking for help. Giving and receiving feedback. And knowing that their voice matters.

Because a strong workplace isn't one where nobody struggles. It's one where people feel able to say when they are struggling – and where someone is ready to listen.

So, this World Mental Health Day, let's ask a different question

Rather than asking: “What are we doing for mental health?”

Ask: “What are our people telling us about their experience – and what are we doing with what we hear?”

Ask your apprentices. Ask your managers. Ask your teams. And then, importantly, listen.

Because lived experience shouldn't simply be something we hear. It should be something that helps us create better workplaces. That is a conversation worth continuing long after 10 October.

Want to strengthen support for your apprentices?

At Future Force, we help businesses create confident, capable apprentices and the supportive workplace environments they need to thrive.

From apprentice management and mentoring to our Basecamp: Foundations of the Workplace course, we help bridge the gap between starting an apprenticeship and feeling confident in the workplace.

Find out more about how Future Force can support your apprentices and your wider people strategy.