In 2016-17, the number of UK workers that suffered from mental health conditions—including work-related stress, depression and anxiety—rose by nearly 10 per cent to 526,000, according to the HSE.
This makes work-related stress the most common work-related illness in the United Kingdom. These conditions account for an annual average of 12.5 million working days lost and cost the UK economy an estimated £33 billion to £42 billion, according to Deloitte.
Mental health conditions harm organisations by reducing productivity and profitability. What’s more, recent research from the charity, Business in the Community, found that 60 per cent of employees have experienced symptoms of at least one mental health condition as a result of their work.
To help your employees manage their mental health, your organisation must establish a workplace culture that promotes positive mental well-being. To do so, consider implementing these three best practices:
- Develop a policy that outlines your organisation’s commitment to making workplace mental health a priority. This should include programmes or initiatives that you will implement to achieve this goal.
- Develop policies and practices for workplace harassment, violence and bullying, as these are some of the most common causes for mental health conditions.
Encourage employees to adopt a healthy work-life balance, and institute policies that support manageable workloads.
