For Employers: Psychological Safety

Workplaces have a significant role to play in supporting expecting and new parents, especially when those parents are navigating the complexities of perinatal mental health challenges, birth trauma or neonatal care.

This blog by Clinical Psychologist, Dr Frankie Harrison, outlines practical steps businesses can take to create a supportive environment for their employees.

To create a culture of psychological safety and open up discussions around mental health, organisations can take the following steps:

• 1. Create a culture of openness around perinatal mental health

  Mental health shouldn’t be a taboo subject. Encouraging open discussions about mental wellbeing, including sharing stories of personal challenges and coping strategies, helps normalise these conversations. Leaders can set the tone by openly acknowledging that mental health struggles are common, and that support is available.

  Designate regular check-ins or “mental health days” as part of the company’s wellbeing initiatives, allowing employees time to rest or seek support as needed without stigma.

• 2. Provide flexibility and understanding

  Expecting and new parents, especially those dealing with NICU experiences, ongoing medical issues for their child or perinatal mental health issues, need flexibility. Offering options such as remote work, flexible hours, or gradual returns from parental leave can make a substantial difference.

  Understanding that not all parents will feel ready to return to full-time work immediately, and accommodating varying needs can alleviate the pressure they may feel.

• 3. Offer mental health support

  Support for staff that includes access to mental health services, such as counselling or therapy, can provide valuable support for parents dealing with stress, anxiety, or trauma. Offering sessions with therapists who specialise in perinatal mental health can help parents navigate the specific challenges they face.

  Additionally, training managers to recognise signs of mental health struggles can help in providing timely and appropriate support to employees who may not feel comfortable speaking up about their difficulties.

• 4. Normalise conversations about parenthood and its challenges

  Encourage conversations about the challenges of parenthood, including the less talked-about aspects like grief, guilt, and anxiety. Support groups within the workplace or partnering with organisations that provide resources for parents can be valuable.

  Including discussions about perinatal mental health during “lunch and learn” sessions, workshops, or wellbeing events can help to raise awareness and promote understanding.

  80% of parents report impact on their mental health as a result of NICU, and up to 48% of parents experience birth trauma, assume that there may be a struggle, even if it is silent and offer them space to talk or support if they need.

  Additional resources

  Is it common for parents to struggle with their mental health? | Bliss

  The childbirth experience: A systematic review of predictors and outcomes - Women and Birth

• 5. Provide training on how to support colleagues going through difficult times

  Equip managers and HR teams with the skills to support team members dealing with perinatal mental health, birth trauma or NICU-related challenges. This training can cover how to support someone during maternity leave and in returning to work, how to have sensitive conversations, adjust workloads, and provide appropriate resources.

  Making resources visible and easily accessible to all employees helps to ensure that those who need support know where to find it without having to disclose personal struggles.

Moving forward…

Becoming a parent is a massive life change, and when that journey includes time in the NICU or birth trauma, it can bring challenges that don’t just vanish when you go back to work. It’s so important for workplaces to recognise this and provide the right support systems.

For so many people I support, I see the positive impact that having an understanding environment where you can talk openly about your experience, receive mental health support, and benefit from flexible work arrangements plays a vital role in a persons recovery. If workplaces can create these conditions for all parents, it will go a long way in promoting not just employee wellbeing, but a culture of compassion and psychological safety.

Ultimately, supporting new parents isn’t just about making life easier for those who are struggling; it’s about valuing them as whole people, whose experiences, both inside and outside of work, shape who they are and what they bring to their roles. It’s about creating a workplace where conversations about mental health are not only welcomed but encouraged, for the benefit of everyone.