Mental Health and Stress in the Workplace

In the run up to World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2018, we will be posting a series of short articles discussing mental health and stress in the workplace.

Mental health and workplace stress are issues which should be at the forefront of an employer’s mind.

Mental health includes an individual’s emotional, psychological and social well-being. Mental health also influences how an individual handles stress. Poor mental health can vary from feeling “down” to common disorders such as anxiety and depression. Usually, an individual’s mental health will fluctuate depending on the pressures that they are experiencing.

The Government’s Department of Health advises that 1 in 4 of us will experience mental health issues at one point in our lives. Further, almost 6 in 10 employees (59%) experience workplace stress. A survey produced by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development revealed that workplace stress and mental health were amongst the most common causes of long-term absences from the workplace. An employer’s failure to recognise mental health can be costly. Research shows that mental ill-health costs employers in the UK £30 billion each year due to lost production, recruitment and absence.

Employers should take steps to tackle the causes of workplace stress; and should actively promote positive mental health in the workplace. This can be done through a variety of ways from awareness raising, training and seminars; to proactive wellbeing initiatives such as yoga classes and gym memberships.

Our employment law expert, Claire Brook, will be conducting master classes dealing with mental health in the workplace on: 21 November 2018 and 6 February 2019 at our offices in Chester. For further information and to secure your place, please email: [email protected].

For more information on the master classes regarding mental health in the workplace, please see the event listings below:

21 November 2018

6 February 2019

Claire Brook Employment Law Partner Email: [email protected] Tel: 01244 405575