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Businesses Should Increase Focus on Mental Health Issues
November 15 2011
Large employers need to look at mental health as a boardroom issue, in the same way as physical health, according to a report by Mind, the mental health charity.
The Taking care of business study, published in September, was the result of a summit held in May, which was attended by a range of leading employers.
The reports key recommendations include ensuring staff mental wellbeing is being monitored and reported back to the board. Employers need to be creating an open, supportive workplace and introducing employee assistance programmes.
Good line management is important in spotting the early signs of mental distress but the report highlighted that managers were rarely given the skills needed to handle mental health issues sensitively and to act early.
Smaller businesses are being encouraged to explore sharing the costs by pooling resources locally.
The report also urged the Government to retain the tax-exempt status of EAPs as welfare counselling and explore other financial incentives to encourage employers to prioritise mental health at work.
Ministers, it argued, also needed to explore how to improve the way GPs used fit notes, including examining how to increase compulsory occupational health training for GPs and medical students.