Trigger warning: this news item mentions suicide.
Employers have a legal duty of care to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees, but the evidence tells us a different story, so what can be done?
Ahead of Stress Awareness Month (April), mental health charity, Mates in Mind, is calling on every leadership team, line manager and employee, to identify and mitigate contributory risks related to stress, anxiety, depression and burnout, in every workplace, every day.
ALL employers have a legal duty of care to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees, including mental health/stress. And yet, stress, anxiety and depression accounted for 46% of work-related ill-health and 55% of all working days lost due to ill health in 2023/24 [1]. In fact, in some sectors it is particularly prevalent, for example:
- Construction - a third of self-employed construction workers live with severe levels of anxiety [2] and have some of the highest rates of suicide in the country, at 3.7 times higher than the national average [3].
- Farming – 91% of farmers agree that poor mental health is the biggest hidden problem facing the industry [4].
- Logistics - 42% of warehouse workers have seen their mental health suffer because of their job [5].
- Transport - drivers of large goods vehicles had a suicide rate 20% higher than the national average [6].
“There is clearly a discord between what is required of employers by law, and what is actually happening to identify and mitigate the contributory risks of work-related stress. At Mates in Mind, we know that work can, and should, be good for workers’ mental health. We recommend that organisations adopt a proactive approach in order to build a culture that supports positive mental health in and through work. This includes empowering all employees through providing them with the information, education and advice that develops their competence and confidence to look after their own and their colleagues’ mental health, so that no-one reaches crisis point and good mental health becomes everyone’s responsibility.” Sam Downie, Managing Director, Mates in Mind.
A Mates in Mind survey [7] found that:
- Despite employers having ‘a legal duty to protect workers from stress at work by doing a risk assessment and acting on it’ (Health and Safety Executive), fewer than 10% of respondents said that their ‘line managers know how to undertake stress risk assessments and understand when they may be necessary’ (almost 70% said they would not).
- Less than 20% have mental health policies in place (over 46% do not).
- Less than 13% said they have provided all employees with general mental health awareness training in the last two years (61% have not).
- However, almost 78% do record the reason for absence being related to stress or common mental health conditions.
In addition to it being a legal requirement and a moral duty, supporting the mental wellbeing of workers also benefits the business (increased productivity, reduced absenteeism/presenteeism, reduced staff turnover resulting in lower recruitment and onboarding costs), but more importantly it also benefits the individual (improved confidence, purpose, achievement, positive relationships and an inclusive culture).
However, if left unaddressed, stress can have a devastating impact on the individual, and it can have life changing repercussions for them, as well as their family, friends and colleagues, as can be seen in the video below.
Part of the issue is the stigma that surrounds mental health, which prevents people from seeking help for themselves, or offering to support someone else who may be experiencing mental ill-health. Therefore, Mates in Mind have published a series of five accessible and inclusive videos which provide guidance on:
- Spotting the signs of stress, depression and anxiety.
- How to start a conversation if you think someone may be experiencing mental ill-health.
- Why it is important to undertake individual stress risk assessments.
- How to make reasonable adjustments to someone’s work.
- How to signpost further support if required.
Find out more about Stress Awareness Month, how organisations can get involved and how to access the Stress Awareness Video series:
Stress Awareness Month 2025
More information on how to ensure all teams are supported through a proactive prevention strategy which raises awareness, improves understanding and the confidence to address the stigma of mental ill-health, and create supportive workplaces, can be found in this blog:
How to optimise mental wellbeing through workplace culture
References:
[1] https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/assets/docs/hssh2324.pdf
[2] Supporting the mental health of self-employed construction workers report, Mates in Mind, 2022 supporting-the-mental-health-of-self-employed-construction-workers (2).pdf
[4] Welcome to our 8th annual Mind Your Head week... - YellowWellies.org
[5] Survey of UK warehouse workers finds improving mental health - Materials Handling World News
[6] Office for National Statistics, 2017
[7] Results of initial organisational assessments undertaken when joining the Mates in Mind Supporter programme between 2019 and 2024. Response options were ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘partially’.