The Health and Wellbeing at Work report by the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Simply Health has been published this week. This sets out key reasons why we can’t overlook mental health in the workplace any more.
- Mental health is the top reason for long term sickness absence at 63%.
- Staff have taken an average of 7.8 sick days in the past year, up from 5.8 before the pandemic.
- 76% of responders said they took time off in the last year due to stress.
- Public sector sick days are almost double that of the private sector.
- Presenteeism rates are high. 65% of employees are working when sick and 67% have used holiday when they are unwell.
- Minor illnesses are the main reason for short-term absences, followed by musculoskeletal injuries and mental ill health.
It’s time to take action around mental health and wellbeing within your organisation, whatever the size of your business, and we don’t just mean fruit bowls, meditation and training Mental Health First Aiders! There is so much more needed for workplace wellbeing.
Employee wellbeing has risen up the corporate agenda, but we have seen a dip since the pandemic, with less focus on health and wellbeing compared with the first year of the pandemic (CIPD 2022).
Only 51% of organisations take a strategic approach to mental health and wellbeing (CIPD 2022). Some organisations are understandably getting on with the day job, so only address mental health when there is a crisis. Line managers play a pivotal role, but often lack the skills required to support others (CIPD 2022).
Rates of Presenteeism (working when unwell) and Leavism (working outside your hours or taking annual leave as sick days) are still rising and employers needed to do more.
The report emphasised the need to focusing on critical indicators of employee stress, morale and organisational culture. Without this intelligence on the needs of the workforce, we are facing an additional challenge.
A senior employee wellbeing adviser at the CIPD, said that “It's important that organisations create an open, supportive culture where employees feel they can come forward,”.
At Promote Mental Health, we offer training and consultancy around mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. We upskill, enable and embed mental health and wellbeing at the heart of your organisation.
Our training will increase knowledge, understanding and skills around mental health, leading to an increase in productivity and retention and a reduction in sickness absence. All our training delivery is planned within the context of your current workplace wellbeing approach, and work towards a positive workplace culture.
Contact us at Promote Mental Health 07766 012812
Read the full 2023 report see here: Health and wellbeing at work September 2023
- Workplace Culture
- Mental Health