Supporting mental health in the workplace is crucial, and the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted this importance more than ever.
Did you know?
- people spend an average of 90,000 hours at work over their lifetime
- 1 in 4 people are likely to experience a mental health problem
- poor mental health costs Scottish employers over £2 billion every year
- for each £1 spent on mental health interventions, employers get £5 back
Further details on these statistics:
- Keep Mental Health Front of Mind - CBI - April 2021
- Mental illness cost calculator - See Me
- Health and wellbeing at work report – CIPD
Benefits of supporting mental health at work
Workers’ physical and mental health should be valued and supported.
Supporting and promoting good mental health and wellbeing at work benefits both individuals and employers.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on people's mental health and well-being.
Businesses should take this into account when considering how to support the mental health and well-being of their workforce
Businesses perform better when workers are healthy, happy and respected.
Go to the online learning area to create an account and start learning.
Our process
Many businesses of all sizes are already leading by example and thinking creatively about:
- ways to promote mentally healthy workplaces
- how to support the well-being of their staff
There is a wide range of legislation, guidance and resources available to support mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
It can sometimes feel overwhelming, particularly for smaller businesses or self-employed people.
This platform has been developed in partnership with organisations across Scotland to help you access the resources needed to promote a mentally healthy workplace.
External partners involved in developing this platform include:
- ACAS
- Business in the Community (BITC)
- Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
- COSLA
- Crossreach
- Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)
- Flexibility Works
- Health & Safety Executive (HSE)
- Highland Council
- Mental Health Foundation
- NHS Scotland
- Public Health Scotland
- Scottish Association for Mental Health
- See Me
- Scottish Enterprise
- Skills Development Scotland
- STUC
- This is Me Scotland
Mental health at work surveys
We want to improve our understanding of what would help employers to support mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
Surveys were sent to both employers and individual employees in December 2021.
These were cascaded through the networks of the partner organisations.
Quotes showing the personal experiences and reflections of survey respondents are shared throughout these pages.
Many thanks to these respondents for allowing us to share their stories.
