THE latest figures from the Chartered Institute of Professional Development (CIPD) Absence Management Survey show that a staggering 41% of employers have reported an increase in the number of mental health cases in the last 12 months.
Dr Alan Black, director of occupational health provider Blackwell Associates Ltd, said employers can spot the signs of mental ill-health in the workplace and support employees throughout the recovery process.
The report shows mental illness in the UK has been on the rise for the last six years, with large and medium-sized businesses experiencing the sharpest increase (69% and 51% respectively).
Furthermore, despite the fact that one in five people in Northern Ireland will experience a mental illness in their lifetime (PHA, 2014), nearly a third of private sector employers have admitted to not taking the appropriate action to support employees with a psychological condition (CIPD, 2015).
Taking this into account, it is an unfortunate truth that stigmatisation still exists in today’s society due to a lack of understanding and communication.
Therefore, because of this perceived social isolation, many people who live with a mental illness will hide their condition to colleagues and their employer, making the management of a career more difficult.
In fact, compared to 77% of employees reporting a physical ailment as their reason for workplace absence, only 39% of employees will cite mental illness such as stress, anxiety or depression instead (AXA, 2015).
Needless to say it’s the responsibility of the employer to treat mental ill-health as seriously as physical problems such as back pain or flu.
It is therefore vital employers introduce occupational health policies to promote good mental and physical wellbeing at work, by addressing the causes of reported ailments and accommodating an employee’s medical needs.
By having an occupational health policy, organisations will experience a boost in employee morale and encourage staff to seek help sooner should they have a problem.
This is a mutually beneficial arrangement as by addressing a problem and seeking professional medical advice earlier, costly absenteeism will be kept to a minimum while levels of productivity, engagement and workforce longevity will increase.
Alternative measures such as regular catch-ups with managers, flexible working hours, counselling services and private healthcare insurance policies can also make a huge difference to staff wellbeing.
Therefore it goes without saying that by investing in the health of their workforce, employers will create a successful business model and that will have the greatest impact on the bottom line.