Mental ill health, such as depression and anxiety,
costs British businesses over £1000 per employee every year. One worker in six
has a mental health problem.
To improve the health of employees and reduce
unnecessary costs to businesses in lost productivity, managers and colleagues
can all make a difference with these three simple steps:
1. Sign your company up to the Time to Change
campaign to end mental health discrimination. By signing up, you make a public
commitment from the top of the organisation to the bottom, send a strong
message to employees, and get expert support from Time to Change in dealing
with mental health issues at work.
2. Get some training in mental health: Most
companies have an employee trained in first aid. But mental ill health is the
most prevalent cause of illness among people of working age. Appointing someone
as a mental health expert or training a number of people in awareness would
make a huge difference.
3. The Health for Work Adviceline is designed to
support employers and employees in small and medium sized businesses, by
providing free-to-use early and easy access to professional occupational health
and well-being advice to help employees remain in or return to work after a
period of ill health.
Nick Clegg says, "I am calling on every employer large and small to do a
mental health stock take. Too many people suffer in silence with mental health
issues. Employers are well placed to recognise warning signs and signpost their
staff to support."
Health cash plan news: 31 July 2012
