Mental health? It’s your business

In the high-pressure environment of the Twenty-First Century workplace, the mental health and wellbeing of your employees is of paramount importance. Today, workplace stress is affecting more people than ever before, and from an entirely commercial perspective, the cost of failing to manage mental health issues is enormous. We all have mental health needs and in any one year, three in ten employees will experience a mental health problem, and stress-related absence, which accounts for half of all sickness from work, has an estimated cost to industry of £4 billion.

But the real cost goes way deeper than the financial bottom line. Failure to prevent and manage workplace stress and other mental health problems can result in a huge loss of talent, skill and human potential. The discrimination and fear that still surrounds mental health only makes matters worse, informing many prejudicial recruitment policies and leading to unfair treatment and dismissal. This means that people in work with mental health problems are not getting the support they need, while people out of work with mental health problems are not being helped back into employment (a vital route to self-esteem, recovery and independence). Either way, given today’s job market, employers are losing out on a vast pool of working talent and experience.

Quote: “Stress is often a symptom of poor employment relations and can seriously affect productivity. Organisations who talk regularly with their employees and have sound systems and procedures in place for dealing with issues like absence and discipline are much more likely to avoid work-related stress and to be able to deal with potentially stressful situations when they arise.”

Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS)

Healthy minds, working minds

In a CBI survey of over 800 companies, 98% or respondents thought that the mental health of employees should be a company concern. And so it should. Putting mental health at the top of the corporate agenda means that not only will you be fulfilling your legal duty of care to your workforce, you will also be getting the very best from your employees, whose overall wellbeing, performance and effectiveness are inextricably linked. As the saying goes, ‘good health equals good business’.

In 2001, Working Minds, the employment programme of the Government’s Mind Out for Mental Health campaign, set out the following business arguments for positively addressing mental health in the workplace:

Gaining important skills
People with mental health problems have particular skills and qualities, such as problem solving, tenacity, diplomacy and creativity

Reducing absence
Workplace stress is a major cause of absenteeism. Constructive and sensitive stress management can have a significant effect on absenteeism, and improve job retention, and thus on the financial bottom line

Creating better workplace relations
Awareness, communication and openness on mental health issues can have an important impact on creating a positive climate of understanding and support, and on overall workplace relations

Enhancing workplace relations
Staff will feel valued and secure if their organisation demonstrates a commitment to their wellbeing. This in turn will lead to heightened morale and motivation

Creating acceptance and diversity
A workforce that reflects the community in which you operate is a basic building block for corporate responsibility

Making your workplace more efficient
The process of thinking about making adjustments for employees with mental health problems can generate helpful internal interviews and more flexible and effective working patterns

Enhanced reputation as the employer of choice