The European Alliance for Mental Health – Employment & Work is an informal coalition of European organisations, the main aims of which are to promote mental health and well-being in the workplace, to advocate for equal access to the labour market for all people experiencing mental ill health and to stimulate policy developments at EU level in these domains.
The Alliance envisions a European labour market where mental health and well-being are given proper consideration in workplaces, employment policies and occupational health strategies, and where people experiencing mental ill-health are supported to return to work when they are ready. The Alliance calls for a more holistic and inclusive approach to mental health and well-being, and is committed to promoting the economic and social case for good mental health in the physical and digital workplace, by encouraging multi-stakeholder dialogue at European level with policymakers, trade-unions, businesses, public health experts and civil society.
The Alliance’s work focuses on two perspectives: workplace settings and employment. The following priorities have been set by the Alliance’s members:
Mental health and well-being in the workplace
- Advocating for the psychosocial model of mental health in the workplace, which considers wider social and economic circumstances, including socio-economic inequalities, and the life experiences and personal resilience of individuals. The psychosocial approach to mental health encourages person-centred collective and focused support for all employees, according to a need.
- Raising awareness of the impact of psychosocial risk factors on the mental health and well-being of all employees in all sectors, and encouraging the exchange of practical and cost-effective best practices and evidence-based interventions in the workplace. This includes the EU future of work agenda, and digital transformation of health, society and work. EU-led processes and tools such as the European Semester and the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights are in our focus.
- Promoting prevention and occupational well-being programmes to help employees maintain a positive mental health in the workplace.
- Making the economic case for mental health promotion in the workplace. Happy employees make productive workplaces: The Alliance is committed to disseminating evidence on mental health promotion as an investment rather than a cost for public and private European enterprises.
Mental health and employment
- Advocating for equal access to the labour market for all people experiencing mental ill health, including those who are experiencing long-term and/or severe mental ill health and those facing multiple disadvantages.
- Encouraging the exchange of best practices including programmes and interventions supporting access to the labour market for people with mental ill health and better support for those who become unwell while in work, enabling them to recover and remain employed without career damaging stigma.
- Bridging the employment gap for people with mental ill health by promoting good mental health as a boost for economic recovery in Europe.
- Recognising that employment plays an important role in the recovery journeys of many people who experience mental ill health.
Outputs of the Alliance’s work
- Organising multi-stakeholder conferences on mental health in the workplace.
- Collecting and disseminating timely and relevant information and evidence of the benefits of mental health prevention, promotion and care, including the economic case for good mental health.
- Developing a guide gathering best practices and promising new practices on comprehensive approaches to mental health in the workplace.
- Formulating policy recommendations and issuing statements relevant to employment, occupational health and safety as well as health and social policies at European level.
The European Alliance for Mental Health - Employment & Work 