Mental Health Awareness Week is from May 13th to 19th, 2024, and this year's theme is 'Movement: Moving More for Our Mental Health'.

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1-in-4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind in England each year. Mental health issues have a significant impact on the person they affect but they are also an economic issue, with the research done for the Centre for Mental Health, estimated that mental illness costs England £300bn per year. The biggest financial impact is on those living with mental health difficulties. It is estimated that businesses also suffer to the value of £101bn per year. These figures don’t reflect the suffering of an individual or the impact on their families.

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As an employer, there is a general duty of care to ensure the health and safety and welfare of your employees, which includes their mental health. Whilst absenteeism due to ill health is no doubt going to cause an issue, perhaps more prevalent with mental health is presenteeism.

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Presenteeism is when an employee attends work when they are not well enough to do so. Presenteeism due to mental health can have a negative impact on the workplace as an employee is less likely to be as productive, which can cause workplace conflict, especially in situations where the cause is being masked or hidden by the employee.

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Mental health is also one of the leading causes of long-term sickness absence, which can lead to high staff turnover.

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One of the keyways an employer can help is by talking and promoting positive mental health. Regular team meetings and one-to-one meetings allow businesses to educate and provide support to individuals. An employee who has regular contact with their line manager, in a one-to-one setting, may be more willing to open up about struggles and ask for assistance.

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Putting in place mental health first aiders within your business means that you will have specifically trained individuals who can identify, understand, and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue.

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With this year’s theme being movement, it is also important to recognise the importance of not just talking, but moving more for our mental health. The benefits of moving more provides a natural energy boost and can lead to more focus and motivation. Therefore, encouraging employees to move more will have a positive impact for all, encouragement could include:

• Walking meetings, especially for internal discussions or one-to-ones
• Encourage movement away from workstations, in particular when the work involved is inactive
• Access to reduced gym membership schemes
• Setting up an activity club (e.g. a walking club, 5-a-side football, netball teams, tournaments with other local businesses).

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