Each year, mental ill-health is responsible for 72 million working days lost, costing the UK economy over £117.9 billion. Almost three quarters of this cost is due to the lost productivity of people living with mental health conditions, as well as the costs incurred by unpaid carers.
From a purely financial point of view, this simply isn’t something employers can afford to overlook – especially in the current climate. Besides, all employers have a duty to support the health and wellbeing of their workforce, and neither physical nor mental illness should be considered more important than the other. Much of this responsibility falls to HR teams.
In England, there are over half a million Mental Health First Aiders – and over three million worldwide. A Mental Health First Aider is a point of contact for employees who are experiencing mental ill-health or emotional distress. In order to qualify, they’ve been trained in how to provide initial support during a mental health crisis, as well as how to offer non-judgemental listening and guidance to prevent issues from worsening, and to promote recovery.
Mental Health First Aiders can provide invaluable to support to the whole business, but more specifically, to HR – the department that oversees employee relations. Here’s how.
Fewer absences, healthier employees
According to figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), mental ill-health is the cause of one in 10 sickness absences. Of course, in reality, this figure is likely to be much higher – not everyone will disclose the true reason behind their absence.
It’s important to remember that even those who have already sought support may still be without it, and seven in 10 people with diagnosable mental illnesses receive no treatment at all. If someone is reliant on NHS services, it may take up to 18 weeks for them to even begin a course of treatment. During this time, Mental Health First Aiders can intervene and provide useful resources to bridge the gap, prevent the issue from worsening, and assist the person in continuing with their day-to-day life.
Preventing presenteeism in the workplace
Ah, the buzzword of 2021 – ‘presenteeism’. In all seriousness, presenteeism is the epitome of keeping up appearances, showing up at work everyday while not being able to work at full capacity, often due to ill-health. It results in a serious lull in productivity, meanwhile work gradually piles up and becomes increasingly difficult to get on top of.
Of course, the problem isn’t the person’s inability to carry out their day-to-day responsibilities, but instead the reluctance to admit this. More than half of employees admit to putting on a brave face at work, choosing not to disclose their struggles with their mental health.
Mental Health First Aiders encourage openness and honesty in the workplace, helping to facilitate discussions about mental health and break the stigma surrounding it. 87 per cent of companies who have assigned Mental Health First Aiders report more conversations about mental health happening in the workplace, and say 60 per cent of employees felt more comfortable with disclosing their own mental health issues.
When staff feel empowered to take control of their mental health, ask for time off when they need it, and admit when they need additional support, HR teams are able to find mutually beneficial solutions to temporarily plug skills gaps or take on additional workloads – rather than being left floundering following a sudden absence.
Higher employee retention rates
In the same vein, employees experiencing mental ill-health are four times more likely to quit their jobs in search of greener pastures. Again, HR must then deal with the consequences – particularly in instances where one departure sparks a mass exodus, due to excessively high stress levels in the workplace.
Mental Health First Aiders have been equipped to spot the signs of mental ill-health, long before others might. From there, they are on hand to facilitate supportive conversations, assess potential risk factors, and, where appropriate, signpost staff to sources of professional support. If this can take place before the stress becomes too much to handle, employees are much more likely to stay.
There are difficult times ahead, both for organisations and employees. As the so-called winter of discontent approaches, it’s never been more important that employers go above and beyond their legal duty of care.
