The mental health of employees is an emerging concern for public and private employers in the Baltic Sea Region. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Europe, half of EU workers considered stress to be common in their workplaces, and it contributed to around half of all lost working days. Workplace-related psychosocial risks, if left unnoticed, can undermine the resilience of businesses by affecting employee well-being, productivity, engagement, and organisational culture. By proactively addressing these risks and fostering a supportive work environment, we can enhance people’s resilience and the sustainability of businesses. Creating a safe and supportive work environment fosters a virtuous cycle: healthy, productive employees contribute to resilient organisations, which in turn support a robust and cohesive society. 

Protecting workers and preserving their workability is the objective of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). Traditionally, OSH legislation, standards, and education have mainly focused on physical hazards and accident prevention, thus not paying sufficient attention to psychosocial risks, mental health promotion, and prevention measures. The MentalHealthMatters project wants to change this.

A key requirement for improving the mental health of employees is to work across health, labour and education sectors. Therefore, the project has set up National and Transnational Communities of Practice, which bring together people from these sectors in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Poland and the Baltic Sea Region as a whole. Together with them, the project partners seek to find solutions to support employers and managers in addressing common psychosocial risks, while paving the way for long-term policy changes. 

The project develops:

• An online First-Aid Kit that gives practical advice to employers, managers and HR personnel in small businesses on how to address common workplace -related psychosocial risks and promote good mental health at work. 
• A Roadmap that discusses policy options and practical actions for systematically improving people’s mental health at work nationally in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway and Poland, and transnationally in the Baltic Sea Region.