Number of employees reporting mental health problems rises to 41 per cent – CIPD
More than 40 per cent of employers have seen an increase in reported mental health problems among workers, according to a new report to be published next week.
The annual Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) absence management survey found that 41 per cent of organisations saw an increase in problems such as anxiety and depression. Six years ago, only 24 per cent of employers reported an increase.
The CIPD found that increases were more likely in large- and medium-sized firms, which showed 69 per cent and 51 per cent upticks respectively. The survey also found a strong correlation between mental health problems among employees and how long their workdays were.
Commenting on the results, CIPD head of public policy Ben Willmott said: “As a nation we’re getting better at opening up the conversation around mental health, but there is still a long way to go.”
Willmott also said that employers need to provide more training for managers in dealing with mental health issues, as well as dedicate more resources to HR for support programmes.
The survey found that more than one in four private sector employees said they were currently taking “no action” to help employees with mental health problems.