Exchanging ideas to create the well-being advantage

There’s no doubt we’re getting better at supporting mental health at work in the UK, but the figures are still shocking: The Centre for Mental Health report that 91 million days are lost each year due to mental health problems and the total cost to employers is a staggering £26 billion a year.  With one worker in six experiencing depression, anxiety or problems relating to stress at any one time, mental illness has now become the largest category of occupational ill-health. (Source: The Centre for Mental Health)

With many organisations still governed by serious financial constraints and austerity measures, reducing the costs of staff sickness absence and driving up productivity remain firmly on the agenda.  We also know that work is good for both physical and mental health and well-being, and whilst people with mental health problems have the highest levels of unemployment among any disabled group, they also have the highest ‘want to work’ rate (source: rethink).  The challenge is huge.

So it’s always great to see new initiatives emerging to help tackle the problem and support mental health at work – I was particularly encouraged to hear that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is piloting a new in-work mental health support service targeted at employees and employers.

As well as providing crucial support to help more organisations develop and sustain mentally healthy workplaces; the DWP is also firmly reinforcing the message that mental health is just as important as physical health in terms of overall well-being and productivity at work.

What makes this service even better is that it’s funded by Access to Work and is free to the organisation.  This innovative pilot is being delivered by Remploy in partnership with ProAbility.  If you want to access the support on offer, or find out more, contact the team on 0845 146 0520 or email: proability@remploy.co.uk