Almost half of UK managers have witnessed a rise in employee mental health issues, according to a survey by Peninsula.
The company asked businesses across the UK, Australia, Canada and Ireland about workplace mental health, revealing that 46% of UK employers had seen a rise in issues in the past year.
However, just 12% of employees in the UK had confided in their bosses about their mental health issues, and one in seven of those who did said nothing had been done as a result.
Almost all (94%) of businesses surveyed said they were available to support staff who struggle with their mental health, but employee responses suggest they want more.
For example, a quarter of respondents said they have noticed an increase in sick leave due to mental health problems but nine in 10 do not offer mental health days to employees.
Mental health UK
Mental health first aid bill ‘could create negative consquences’
Two-thirds of employers said they are confident their employees would talk to them and disclose mental health concerns, but fewer than 10% of bosses were comfortable discussing their own mental health.
Peninsula’s study of 79,000 organisations found that employers in Canada and Australia are more likely to take time off work due to mental health issues than those in the UK and Ireland.
Canadian employers were most likely to offer mental health days on top of personal leave entitlement – 23% of Canadian organisations offered them already, and 15% were planning to in the next 12 months.
In the UK and Ireland, more than four-fifths do not offer this benefit, while 67% do not offer mental health days in Australia.
In Ireland, more employees are seeking time off to support family members with mental health issues – this was the only country where this response ranked in the top three.
Alan Price, chief operating officer of Peninsula Group, said: “Healthy employees make for a healthy workplace, so it’s encouraging that so many employers are comfortable having conversations around both their own and their employees’ mental health.
“We’ve all seen the drastic impact that recent world events have had with many struggling to adapt to the ‘new normal’ – and business owners, especially SMEs, are no different. Many are under pressure like never before, and the cost-of-living crisis and rising energy costs are having a significant impact on employers and employees alike.”
Price noted that the use of employee assistance programmes was low, despite a high proportion of employers reporting to be supportive of mental health.
“Most overwhelmingly chose to speak to friends and family; use of the company EAP did not come in the top three responses in any of the four countries,” he added. “So, while employers are offering this support to employees, they should also remember that the service is there to support everyone – regardless of seniority within an organisation.”
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A private members’ bill has been launched in the UK government proposing mandatory mental health first aid training, but this has received a mixed response.
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