As part of Mental Health Week we are publishing an article a day on the subject of Mental Health and Wellbeing, following from yesterday’s post we have learnt that Mental Health is a big deal. We continue our journey by looking at some statistics.
Big Picture
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- 1 In 4 people in the UK will experience a Mental Health at some point
- 61% of employees have experienced a Mental Health issue due to work OR where work was the contributing factor
- 57% of all sickness absence days are now stress related
Impact Per Year
- 600,000 workers per year suffer from work-related Mental Health issues
- 70 million work days each year are lost due to Mental Ill health
- £74-99 billion cost to the UK economy
- £33-42 billion cost to employers
- On average every worker takes off 2.5 days a year with stress related illnesses
“We’ve become a nation that is reactive, not preventative. We prescribe ‘happy pills’ in a desperate quest for a cure, when in reality the root of the problem is a lack of awareness, education and conversation.” (Bell, G. 2019)
Hidden Problem
- 45% of people lie about Mental Health issues due to the stigma still attached and claim sickness for other reasons
- 38% of British workers believe revealing Mental Health issues to management will have a negative consequence for their careers
- 57% of all sickness absence days are now stress related
“Mental health is still a taboo subject in the workplace. Experiencing anxiety or depression is not something we usually chat to our co-workers about over lunch. Because of this lack of discourse around the topic, we might think that mental health issues just aren’t something that affect the people we know and work with.” (Fit for Work, 2019)
Impact Per Year
- 600,000 workers per year suffer from work-related Mental Health issues
- 70 million work days each year are lost due to Mental Ill health
- £74-99 billion cost to the UK economy
- £33-42 billion cost to employers
- On average every worker takes off 2.5 days a year with stress related illnesses
However…
The Report
The Stevenson-Farmer Review (2017) into the state of Mental Health in the workplace highlights 5 key points:
- We all have mental health and it changes over time
- Stress at work can lead to poor mental health and time off work
- We need more open conversations around mental health in the workplace
- There’s a discrepancy between how managers feel they support staff versus how well supported employees feel
- Employers should invest more in workplace wellbeing to benefit the bottom line
(Credit: MIND Key Insights into Stevenson-Farmer Review)
The Opportunity
According to the report, the UK could and should be one of the leading nations in relation to mental health. If the UK prioritises mental health at work, we can become global leaders in reducing the stigma, improving the mental health of the population and providing support for those who need it, and in the process we can dramatically improve the productivity of UK-based business and the UK as a whole.
The Plan
Companies need to :
- Recognise Mental Health and wellbeing as an important issue for employees and the company
- Talk about it, and remove the stigma
- Put Mental Fitness at the heart of the company culture
- Make driving good Mental Health practice core to the management agenda
Actions
How do you get it to happen?:
- Create a Mental Health policy and put it at the heart of your company culture
- Train all key management personnel in Mental Health and Fitness
- Keep taking about it to reduce the stigma
Mental Health Issues In Your Workplace?
Contact us now on +44 (0)121 355 6026 or email hello@quarsh.com to learn more about our Mental Health courses to address your issues
