The consequences of NOT growing mental health awareness in your workplace
The economic costs and implications
In 2020, it was reported that one in six people experience a common mental health issue such as depression and/or anxiety in any given week.
These people are working people, like me, you, your colleague sitting next to you, your managers, your children and your loved ones.
It is also widely reported that poor mental health is responsible for 72million working days lost and costs UK industry £45 billion.
However, in March 2022, a new report was published by the Mental Health Foundation and the London School of Economics (LSE) which outlined that mental health problems are actually costing the UK economy as much as £118 billion annually, which equates to 5 per cent of the UK’s GDP. The report suggests that many of these problems and costs could be avoided with a focus on proactive steps towards preventing poor mental health.
Back in 2017 Theresa May, the then prime minister, requested an independent investigation into mental health in the workplace. The subsequent report ‘Thriving at work’ highlighted that the UK faced a significant mental health challenge in the workplace.
The review pointed to there being more people at work with mental health conditions than ever before and 300,000 people with a long term mental health problem are losing their job each year. Today, over 5 years later, this situation hasn’t significantly improved.
The Report outlined 40 key recommendations for employers, UK Government and other stakeholders, with six ‘core mental health standards’:
Implementing a mental health at work plan
Developing mental health awareness
Encouraging conversations about mental health
Improved working conditions and a healthy work-life balance
Promoting effective people management through line managers and supervisors
Monitoring employee mental health and wellbeing.
Suicide in the workplace
If the financial costs quoted above aren’t enough reason to focus on raising mental health awareness, then there is also the ultimate cost of the loss of life from suicide. Each suicide in England is estimated as costing society around £1.7million which includes coroners fees, inquests, police, medical intervention etc.
It’s interesting to note that suicides that happen in the workplace are not officially monitored, recorded or legally reportable. The Health & Safety Executive(HSE) regulations (RIDDOR) only require you to report death from a workplace accident. The implication of this is that public authorities and employers can turn a blind eye to this growing issue which also potentially obscures the true picture of how the workplace can be one of the risk factors towards people ending their life.
This is actually quite different to many other countries such as such as France, Japan and the United States where there is a legal requirement to report workplace suicides. In 2019, in the US there were 307 workplace fatalities by suicide, the highest level on record.
The ONS in 2021 reported a staggering 5,583 registered suicides in England and Wales, which equates to over 15 people a day. Bear in mind these were recorded during the Covid pandemic and it can take years for accurate figures to come to light not least because of the time taken to complete an inquest.
Duty of Care
Employers know that they have a duty of care to their employees and whilst unlikely to be held responsible for someone taking their life, unless negligence is proven, they are responsible for creating safe working environments that not only support physical health but also mental health. Implementing the six core mental health standards mentioned previously contribute as much towards prevention as they do towards monitoring employee mental health and wellbeing and providing support.
Attracting and retaining staff and talent
There are continuing staff and talent shortages across the UK due to an increase in retirements, students, improvements in technology, and a lack of skilled workers. This means that those who are looking for work can be far more discerning about who they work for. It’s one of the leading trends, reported by recruiters, that if the employer is unable to demonstrate a proactive approach towards mental health and wellbeing support and flexible working conditions, then job seekers are likely to look elsewhere.
It is also known that there are increasing challenges in attracting and retaining people to work in mental health services, particularly in nursing and psychiatry. Mental health is not routinely promoted as a career option for young people.
Summary
We can get bogged down in the statistics, however, it does appear that there is still a way to go for workplaces to fully understand, appreciate, and do something about the fact that poor mental health and mental illness is costing money and affecting the lives of working age adults and their families.
Not doing something about raising mental health awareness is going to continue to increase:
Absenteeism - due to mental health issues such as anxiety and/or depression
Presenteeism – working excessive hours and not taking time off when sick
Poor performance – not talking about mental health issues due to fear of stigma and discrimination
Financial impact – mental health affects the bottom line of businesses
Impact on society – unhealthy, unhappy parents will find it difficult to support healthy, happy children
Retention and attraction of talent – impacting on the ability to be competitive and deliver results
Suicide – and the ramifications on friends, families and work colleagues.
Sources:
Knapp M, McDaid D, Parsonage M (editors) (in press) Mental health promotion and mental illness prevention: The economic case. PSSRU, London School of Economics and Political Science
Tagged as: Mental Health
Share this post: