Less than half (42%) of FTSE 100 firms acknowledge that mental health is an issue, according to a study from Lockton Benefits, published in May 2015.
The report also found that only four employers (Royal Mail, GlaxoSmithKline, Reed Elsevier and advertising and public relations firm WPP) met criteria for all workplace mental health aspects.
These range from having employee wellbeing programmes in place to acknowledging mental health issues in the workforce, and specifically reporting mental health issues and statistics.
The research also found:
- 30% of the UK’s largest organisations now have employee mental health programmes in place.
- 88% underreport mental health problems.
- 47% have employee assistance programmes (EAPs) in place.
- 31% have health and wellness screening programmes for staff.
- 89% report on employee wellbeing generally.
- Just 12% reported the volume of mental health cases in their workforce in 2014.
Chris Rofe, senior vice president, employee benefits at global insurance broker Lockton, said: “Effective deployment of prevention, identification and intervention solutions for mental health are to provide regular touch points and contact with employees, and a clear and transparent policy and support network.
“Employees need to know exactly where to go and who to contact if they experience mental health challenges while in-post. They also need the security of knowing that mental health will be treated exactly as what it is, an illness, and given the proper support, treatment and confidence to return to work, when fit to do so.
“Mental health must not be stigmatised or downplayed; if the fear factor is there, employees will not feel able to speak out and the problems will likely increase.”