Mental Health at Work Day 2026

It can seem cliché to emphasise the value of mental health in the workplace. Some people may think that reiterating the message diminishes its value, while others may feel they're already doing enough to protect their people from mental health challenges.

Sadly, workplace absences are on the rise, reaching a 15-year high, all while mental health-related issues become the overall leading cause of these absences. That’s why we believe in promoting the importance of mental health resilience and support in the workplace.

Mental Health at Work Day is an awareness day led by our self-guided CBT partners Rightsteps and the theme this year is about ‘building resilience’. Rightsteps want to recentre the conversation on workplace mental health and how resilience can be utilised as an ultimate toolkit for individuals to overcome any wellbeing challenges they may face.

Organisations and their people often misinterpret the true meaning of resilience. It is seen as an ability to brush things off, to bounce back after taking a knock and feel unaffected when negative things occur. In reality, it’s about having the right strategies to manage challenges of all sizes. It’s something that is nurtured and developed, all of which cannot happen without the right environment. That’s why organisations need to have strong wellbeing support in place, and must build psychologically safe environments.

At HA | Wisdom Wellbeing, we understand this better than anyone. We speak to thousands of organisations everyday and hear about plenty of cases where people are struggling to build resilience due to mental health pressures and challenges they face in their everyday working lives.

More and more organisations are recognising the importance of workplace mental health and how the right support in place can facilitate success. Spotting issues early and having holistic wellbeing support in place can prevent absences, drive success and lead to healthier, happier people.

What can organisations and their leadership teams do to build a culture which fosters this resilience with effective strategies?

• Create space for early and honest conversations — not just check-ins during a crisis
• Build psychologically safe teams where people can speak openly without stigma
• Make wellbeing support visible, accessible, and embedded into daily culture
• Encourage the use of support networks — resilience isn’t meant to be done alone
• Equip managers with the skills to spot early signs of struggle and respond appropriately

So, with all this in mind and as we approach Mental Health at Work Day on the 26th March 2026, consider how your organisation is going to work towards reframing and supporting mental health resilience this year.