Health & Wellbeing

Mental Health Sick Leave: What UK Employers Need to Know

Man with hand on his head, look unwell due to his mental health

HA | Wisdom Wellbeing08th May 2025

Mental health absence isn’t just a personal issue, it’s a strategic challenge. Left unmanaged, it drives up costs, increases legal exposure, and weakens workforce resilience. But with the right support, you can reduce absence, protect compliance, and build a healthier organisation.

The Commercial Impact of Mental Health Absence

Mental health-related absence affects:

• Productivity: long-term absence disrupts teams and workloads.

• Compliance: mishandling mental health leave risks breaching the Equality Act 2010.

• Costs: sickness absence costs UK organisations billions annually.

Under UK law, mental health conditions must be treated the same as physical illness. If the condition meets the legal definition of a disability, employers must make reasonable adjustments — or risk discrimination claims.

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) must be provided for up to 28 weeks, at £99.35 per week (2022 rate), for eligible employees. Many organisations offer enhanced contractual sick pay, but without the right support, this becomes a sunk cost.

Common Mental Health Conditions That Drive Absence

• Work-related stress

• Anxiety and depression

• PTSD, OCD, bipolar disorder

Symptoms vary, but often include sleep disruption, emotional volatility, and withdrawal, all of which affect performance and team dynamics.

Your Duty of Care: What Employers Must Provide

To reduce risk and support recovery, organisations should:

• Create psychologically safe environments

• Offer fast access to clinically governed support

• Provide Occupational Health Assessments

• Make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees

• Conduct return-to-work interviews with care and clarity

Fit notes are required after seven days of absence. For shorter periods, self-certification applies.

Strategic Response: From Absence to Organisational Strength

Mental health absence is a symptom, not the root cause. The real challenge is workforce overload, leadership strain, and lack of fast, expert support. HA | Wisdom Wellbeing helps organisations:

• Protect compliance with clinically governed care

• Strengthen leadership capability with Work Health Assessments

• Build resilience through proactive wellbeing strategy

Take Action Today

Don’t wait for absence to become a crisis. Our clinically governed EAP gives your people fast, expert-led support, 24/7, 365 days a year.

✔️ Book a free consultation demo ✔️ Get expert advice on managing mental health absence ✔️ Protect your organisation and your people

Make an enquiry now or call 0800 206 2547 to speak with a specialist.

HA | Wisdom Wellbeing

HA | Wisdom Wellbeing is the UK and Ireland’s leading EAP provider. Specialising in topics such as mental health and wellbeing, they produce insightful articles on how employees can look after their mental health, as well as how employers and business owners can support their people and organisation. They also provide articles directly from their counsellors to offer expertise from a clinical perspective. HA | Wisdom Wellbeing also writes articles for students at college and university level, who may be interested in improving and maintaining their mental wellbeing.

Support your employees with an EAP

With an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) from HA | Wisdom Wellbeing, we can offer you practical advice and support when it comes to dealing with workplace stress and anxiety issues.

Our EAP service provides guidance and supports your employees with their mental health in the workplace and at home. We can help you create a safe, productive workspace that supports all.

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