Mental health in the workplace

Mental health in the workplace

At any moment, over 15% of people in the UK and Ireland are suffering in work with symptoms of a mental health condition. That’s one in six of your people struggling—right now—to get through their workday, perhaps silently.

So it’s not a shock to learn that people with a mental health problem are three times more likely to take a long-term sickness absence, and that’s a clear problem for businesses—but there’s an answer…

The most successful employers in the public, private and non-profit sectors introduce a positive culture around mental health at work. Not only does it help their people, it also improves their organisation’s performance. Here’s how.

Why mental health is important to your business

When you’re open about the importance of mental health, you help your employees' emotional, psychological and social wellbeing through five clear benefits:

1. Work becomes a happier place to be, which helps you attract the best talent.
2. Employees become much more motivated and their work output improves.
3. Your best people stay loyal to both you and your business, reducing staff turnover.
4. Employees take fewer days off with mental health symptoms and, if they are unwell, they stay off work like they should.
5. You enhance your overall business reputation.

Boost mental health with an EAP

The Health Assured employee assistance programme (EAP) is a useful benefit tool to complement your promotion of mental health wellbeing at work.

It’s a complete resource, accessible 24/7 worldwide, with access to compassionate support over the phone, in person and online. It encourages individuals to take part in healthy behaviours and activities, offering a sensitive helpline and confidential counselling sessions to help people through life’s challenges.

Plus, to help you identify when someone is at risk or suffering in silence, we offer a way to take action with our mental health first aid training course.

With our EAP’s proactive intervention for staff mental health issues, you give your people the best chance to find a positive outcome for their problems. And that has an astounding effect on your return on investment…

Better mental health, better business success

The annual cost of mental health to employers is staggering. The Independent Review of Mental Health and Employers reports that it’s as much as £42 billion a year.

So if you make an effort to boost individual mental wellbeing, how much would you be set to save per employee, per year?

• Public sector: as much as £1,878
• Private sector: as much as £1,481

To see how much your organisation could save, speak with one of our mental health at work experts today.