MHFA England: Supporting the wellbeing and mental health of People of Colour and Black people in the workplace

This advice has been prepared following the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent focus on racial justice and the Black Lives Matter movement. At MHFA England we – along with many others – have committed to doing the work to become a truly anti-racist organisation.

Ultimately our work on racial justice must impact positively on the opportunities and wellbeing of colleagues who are Black and People of Colour. We know however that a focus on race, race equity and White privilege can be exhausting for Black people and People of Colour. As organisations, leaders, managers and White colleagues we can and must provide better support and be better allies.

We would like to pay thanks to our colleagues at MHFA England who are Black and People of Colour for both sharing their own experiences and talking about what they need from us. In doing so they raised the importance of providing this support and guidance and have been instrumental in its creation. We would also like to thank colleagues at the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and Business in the Community (BITC) for recognising the importance of the guidance and offering their expertise and insight to its development.

The advice is divided into three sections:

  • Supporting the wellbeing of People of Colour and Black colleagues
  • Understanding racism and its impact
  • Becoming an anti-racist workplace