Mental Health Support at Work: The Business Case

The scale of mental ill health across the UK is vastly underestimated (see The facts below). Diagnosis is frequently hampered by inviduals not being entirely open with their GPs about their symptoms due to confusion and embarrassment about symptoms.  

The business case for employers managing mental health at work is extremely strong in the face of the figures below. By increasing mental health awareness, managers are able to spot problems early on and advise the employee about support services they can access.

Individuals who are more aware of mental health issues are able to seek help at the earliest opportunity.

Easy access to confidential assessment with a health professional can also speed up access to support and treatment if necessary.

Management of mental health at work can reduce presenteeism, absence rates, staff turnover and create goodwill and loyalty amongst staff.

As an employer you will be meeting our duty of care under health and safety legislation and protecting yourself from legal action.

The facts:

• Mental ill health, mostly stress, depression and anxiety disorders, affects every business in the UK with one in six employees suffering at any one time.
• Employers under-estimate the number of people in their workforce who may be suffering from mental ill health with nearly half believing that none of their employees will ever have a mental health problem.
• A significant proportion of mental ill health is undiagnosed and untreated
• The cost to UK businesses is estimated to be¹:
  • £8.4 billion in sickness absence costs (70 million lost working days per year)
  • £15.1 billion in reduced productivity at work. 'Presenteesim' accounts for 1.5 times as much working time lost as absenteeism.
• Presenteeism - poor performance at work due to mental health problems - costs employers more because it is more common amongst senior staff who are reluctant to admit to being under stress or suffering psychological problems.
• Mental Health problems account for 40% of total sick leave covered by sick notes. This is due to people with mental health problems being off work an average of 15 weeks as opposed to 8 weeks with other conditions.

¹Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health: Mental Health at Work: Developing the Business Case
http://www.scmh.org.uk/pdfs/mental_health_at_work.pdf