If we overlook (or under-support) people with mental health issues, we risk overlooking a significant proportion of the working population. In the UK, people with mental health problems make up a significant proportion of the workforce. However, diagnosed mental health issues are only the tip of the iceberg. Mental health at work is not limited to just diagnosed conditions. We should consider mental health problems as any mental health problems that are brought to, experienced at, or caused by work. This is more common than you might think.
So, thinking of your team of 30 again, potentially 9 people have experienced mental health problems at some point, and 5 of them still are; and 18 members of your team have experienced stress or problems caused by their job at some point. When a member of your team is experiencing stress or anxiety at work, we should be striving to create an open environment where workers are able to get help within the workplace before they report sick. However, in an increasing number of cases, this just isn't happening (Table 2.2).
Now, look at your team and think about the potential you could unlock with a mental fitness programme. Not only could you support these people now, you would also enhance and strengthen their mental and emotional well-being for the future, not just for those people suffering now, but for all 30 of your figurative team. Isn't that something worth investigating? I think so.
The Cost of Doing Nothing (or Not Doing Enough)
The cost to business is huge. The Lancet3a estimates 12 billion days (equivalent to US$925 billion) worldwide in lost productivity are attributable to depression and anxiety every year. That's the equivalent of taking the entire UK workforce out of production for a year.
Table 2.2 UK statistics on the scale of mental health illness and work-related stress.
| Statistic | Source | Impact on your team of 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| People with mental health problems make up 15.9% of the UK workforce | Oxford Economics4 | Five out of 30 | Experiencing NOW |
| One in four (23%) UK employees have experienced symptoms of mental health problems in the past month, related to or caused by work | BITC5 | Eight out of 30 | |
| 30% of the UK workforce is diagnosed with a mental health condition in their lifetime | Nine out of 30 | At some point | |
| Six in 10 (62%) UK employees have experienced symptoms of mental health problems, related to or caused by work, at some point in their career | 18 out of 30 |
The costs are due to four main factors: absenteeism, presenteeism, leaveism, and labour turnover (Figure 2.1).
Figure 2.1 Factors affecting business performance.
A 2020 study by Deloitte in the UK6 estimates that the costs to private sector business are up to £35.2 billion per year. This is made up of:
£21.1–£23.4 billion in presenteeism
£6.9 billion in turnover costs
£5 billion in absence
The same study shows that the average employer is losing £1652 per employee due to poor mental health, and that the average ROI for well-being initiatives is 5×. Despite this excellent investment opportunity, the average UK employer is spending just £26 per employee per year, compared to £210 in Sweden.
Presenteeism and leaveism are increasingly prevalent in the workplace as communication advances mean we are unable to ‘switch off’ from work. Some eye-watering statistics are listed below:
73% of British workers feel they are expected to be available for work at all times.7
9% of workers in the UK who have no experience of mental health problems agree that ‘distress has left them less productive than they would like’.8
51% of organisations observed that employees work outside contracted hours to get work done.9
36% observed employees would use holidays and other allocated time off to work.11
In a global study, nearly one in three workers are ‘unable to mentally switch off from work’, and 20% of people said ‘being constantly connected to work made them feel mentally exhausted’.10
When asked the question, ‘When I am struggling with my mental health and would benefit from time off’, 85% of UK respondents agreed they would still ‘always or mostly go to work’.11
Gallup's ‘State of the Global Workplace 2016’ measures employee engagement and well-being. Worldwide, two thirds of the workforce are ‘not engaged’ in their jobs, and 18% are ‘actively disengaged’.12 The study also measures and reports on the well-being of populations, using five key essential elements: purpose, social, community, financial, and physical. The report found that in the United States, 28% of adults are ‘struggling or suffering’ in all of these elements, while only 19% are thriving in at least four out of the five.
Why is this important in the workplace? Well, even engaged employees are more likely to miss work days, are slower to recover from illness, and are more likely to be looking for another job if their well-being is poor. Imagine having a workforce with purpose, with good work relationships, feeling part of a community. That's what consciously and positively investing in a well-being (and better still, mental fitness) programme can bring to your business. Engaged, thriving employees who are less likely to take time off, and are more productive at work, more resilient and happy to embrace change.
Enough of the costs of doing nothing. Let's look at the benefits of doing something.
The Benefits of Taking Action: The Bottom Line
Benefits to the Economy
People with mental health challenges should not be written off, as they deliver significantly more benefits than costs for the global economy. People with mental health problems – working in a wide range of industries, from construction to entertainment
