Approximately one in four people will suffer from a mental health issue at some point in their lifetime, and according to the Mental Health Foundation, this is costing UK employers approximately £2.4 billion per year.
The impact of mental health problems in the workplace has serious consequences not only for the individual but also for the productivity of a company. Such areas as employee performance, sickness absence, accidents, increased costs and staff turnover are all affected by employee’s mental health.
Whilst all organisations have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for staff members when it comes to mental health, many smaller businesses simply aren’t aware of their responsibilities.
According to the Institute of Leadership and Management, 45% of employees working for an organisation with 10-49 employees said that they didn’t support staff suffering from ill mental health very well. 42% of employees working for an organisation with 100-249 employees also thought that they supported colleagues with mental health poorly.
Business West is working closely with local organisations to raise awareness of mental health in the workplace and offer information and advice to businesses.
Information on local hubs and programmes for businesses:
Bristol
Thrive at Work West of England provides resources (including free mental health e-learning) to support workforce mental health, with a focus on SMEs in the West of England region. Find out more about the programme:-
Swindon
Join the Chamber
Be a part of the largest business membership organisation in the region and tap into a range of valuable business benefits.
The Bristol Initiative
Want to know more about the benefits of being an Initiative member and who can join? Click the button belw to get in touch.
