Time to Talk Day: Why Businesses Must Do More to Support Employees’ Mental Health
February 1st is Time to Talk Day, an annual awareness day dedicated to talking about mental health, empowering individuals to come together to start a conversation and inspire change. Run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, it promotes the message that talking about mental health has the power to change lives, being a complex and sensitive topic that many find challenging to discuss.
What Are The Numbers?
In the workplace, the growing mental health crisis has been linked to the 500,000 under 35s who are out of work due to long-term illness – a 44% increase since 2019.
This is nothing short of a frightening figure when considering that at least 36% of these individuals are unable to work due to mental health problems such as depression, stress, and anxiety.
A significant number of individuals in the UK is struggling with mental health illnesses – approximately one in four adults each year – calling for radical change in the way we tackle the topic, as well as better structures and resources.
The mental health crisis in the UK is a very real and alarming reality, driven by a historic lack of investment in facilities and resources.
Mental health illnesses are estimated to cost the UK’s economy at least £118 billion a year, with 18 million days per year lost to mental health conditions in the workplace.
And with recent research showing that around 48% of UK employees do not have good mental well-being at work, it’s clear that we must put more effective measures in place to safeguard those who are struggling in the workplace. But how can this be achieved?
