Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

StressMental health conditionsMental health

Mandatory reporting would improve staff mental health, a third of firms say

by Ashleigh Webber 8 Oct 2019
by Ashleigh Webber 8 Oct 2019 Image: Shutterstock
Image: Shutterstock

Almost a third (30%) of employers think mandatory reporting of workplace mental health statistics would help make organisations more accountable for staff wellbeing, a survey has found.

Mental health

Progress on mental health ‘core standards’ lagging behind

Mental health support: moving beyond the hashtag

Only 14% of HR professionals surveyed by Howden’s Employee Benefits & Wellbeing division disagreed that increasing transparency around what organisations were doing to improve the mental health of their employees would help address the issue, while more than half (52%) were open to the idea, subject to the requirements.

The survey of more than 150 HR practitioners asked whether mandatory public reporting of workplace mental health statistics, which was suggested in the Thriving at work Stevenson/Farmer review of mental health and employers two years ago, would help UK employers better tackle the issue.

The review recommended that employers consider producing an annual report on mental health to be shared with all employees and, potentially, with the public. Such a report would include: a statement from the individual accountable for the plan, priorities for the next period,  data from staff surveys or “mood tracker” results, sickness absence data, engagement in mental health activities or take-up of support, or mental health disclosure rates within the organisation.

Steve Herbert, head of benefits strategy at Howden, said: “The enhanced standards were suggested by the Stevenson/Farmer review two years ago, but they were initially only targeted at larger employers in the UK. So we are delighted that many organisations of all sizes appear to now recognise the advantages of such an approach.

“Poor workplace mental health is often a hidden issue.  As such it will benefit all concerned if company level data was made public, and it would also provide the foundation for many more employers to take corrective actions as necessary.”

The survey results, published ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October, also revealed that almost half (44%) of HR professionals thought poor mental health, anxiety or stress accounted for between 20% and 40% of the total number of sick days taken in their organisation. One in 10 said these represented more than half of sick days taken.

Ashleigh Webber
Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is editor at OHW+ and part of the Personnel Today editorial team. Prior to joining Personnel Today in 2018, she covered the road transport sector for Commercial Motor and Motor Transport.

previous post
MPs to examine impact of endometriosis on women
next post
Productivity puzzle persists with fastest fall in five years

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

Workers feeing increasingly anxious, burnt out and fearful...

13 May 2022

Three-quarters not meeting weekly exercise target

11 May 2022

Mental health still topping the concerns for employers

9 May 2022

Occupational health must help ‘de-risk’ requests for addiction...

6 May 2022

Severe Covid cognitive impairment ‘equivalent to 20 years...

4 May 2022

Four in five GPs suffering with mental health

29 Apr 2022

Government seeks evidence on mental ill-health prevention and...

19 Apr 2022

OH will be key to navigating ‘second pandemic’...

14 Apr 2022

Men’s mental health: motivating staff to open up

12 Apr 2022

Demand for CBT at record levels in England...

11 Apr 2022

  • The importance of being an ethical leader and how to become one PROMOTED | What is ethical leadership?...Read more
  • RPO Report: 2022, The Year to Outsource PROMOTED | Employers should be overwhelmed with choice...Read more
  • Report: Enabling organisational agility through talent & people success PROMOTED | Work has been challenged...Read more
  • Employee Trends 2022 report PROMOTED | Edenred research on employees analysed the key employees’ trends for 2022...Read more
  • How finance apprenticeships can boost business PROMOTED | As the world’s most forward-thinking professional accountancy body...Read more
  • Paul Devoy: Showing appreciation to the Investors in People community PROMOTED | Ask most people what comes to mind when you mention Investors in People...Read more
  • White paper: How digitalisation can support evolving occupational health PROMOTED | Download this free white paper to discover how digitalisation can help occupational health meet emerging challenges...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today