Work-related stress and poor mental health risk becoming a health and safety crisis for Great Britain’s workplaces, the HSE has warned. While the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is yet to be fully understood, mental health issues are the number one reason given for sick days in the UK. Last year more than 17 million working days were lost as a result of stress, anxiety or depression. A recent survey by the charity Mind suggests that two in five employees’ mental health worsened during the pandemic, and yet mental health is still stigmatised, especially in the workplace. .

In response, the HSE has launched its new campaign, ‘Working Minds’, which examines issues relating to health at work. The campaign aims to help businesses recognise the signs of work-related stress and make tackling issues routine.

While ‘Working Minds’ is specifically targeting six million workers in small businesses, the HSE is calling for a culture change across Britain’s workplaces, to ensure psychological risks are treated the same as physical ones in health and safety risk management.

HSE’s Chief Executive, Sarah Albon, said:

“Work-related stress and poor mental health should be treated with the same significance as risks of poor physical health and injury. In terms of the effect it has on workers, significant and long-term stress can limit performance and impact personal lives. No worker should suffer in silence and if we don’t act now to improve workers’ mental health, this could evolve into a health and safety crisis.

“The pandemic has highlighted the need to protect the health of employees who have faced unprecedented challenges; the Government is committed to building back better and we want to make sure good mental health is central to this.”

HSE is reminding business that no matter where people work, employers have a legal duty to assess the risks in the workplace, not just in terms of potential hazards and physical safety. They should also promote good working practices. It says this promotes an open environment where employees can share their concerns and discuss options to ease pressures.

Albon added:

“Our campaign is focused on giving employers a clear reminder of their duties while championing reducing work-related stress and promoting good mental health at work.”

The regulator has partnered with a number of organisations to highlight the triggers of stress, the legal duty of employers and how to manage the risks. The network of Working Minds champions includes the charity Mind, which supports and empowers anyone experiencing a mental health problem in England.

Working Minds is aimed specifically at supporting small businesses by providing employers and workers with easy to implement advice, including simple steps in its ‘5 Rs’ to Reach out, Recognise, Respond, Reflect and make it Routine.

Dane Krambergar, Head of Workplace Wellbeing Services at Mind, said:

“We’re really pleased to be supporting HSE’s Working Minds campaign, which aims to support businesses to promote good mental health among their staff. Mind has long been working with employers of different sizes and sectors to help them create mentally healthy workplaces, but this has never been more important. This campaign couldn’t have come at a better time, given the impact the pandemic has taken on employers and staff. We recently surveyed over 40,000 staff working across 114 organisations. Two in five (41%) employees told us their mental health had worsened during the pandemic.”

Prof Neil Greenberg, Chair of the Occupational Psychiatry Special Interest Group at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said:

“Good mental health is just as important as good physical health, so it’s vital that employers do all that they can to promote good mental health in the workplace. Employees should be given appropriate support to help minimise the likelihood of experiencing work-related mental health problems and be supported in their treatment and recovery if they do develop or live with a mental illness. HSE’s campaign will give organisations and employers the necessary tools to spot potential signs of mental ill-health, and to develop or improve their practices to protect the psychological health of their staff.”

Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Chloe Smith said:

“Making sure businesses have the right tools to recognise and support their employees with their mental health is key to creating healthy workforces across the country. Campaigns like this are so important and alongside our other measures to help reduce ill-health related job loss and initiatives such as Access to Work we can ensure even more people can stay in their job and thrive.”

Employers and workers wanting to know more about the Working Minds campaign, including the legal obligations, advice, and tools available, should visit workright.campaign.gov.uk/campaigns/workingminds.

For more information on the IOSH Managing Occupational Health and Wellbeing course, which covers mental health awareness in depth, click here.