Over a quarter of long-term absences linked to mental health

Failure to deal with mental health problems in the workplace is costing the UK more than 70 million working days each year, new figures have revealed.  

The figures, from financial protection specialist Unum, showed that mental health issues made up 27% of Income Protection (for those who are unable to work due to incapacity caused by illness or injury) claims in 2014, with the most common mental health claim being reactive depression. Other conditions such as anxiety, stress and bipolar disorder are also leading to workers taking continued periods of time off work.

Joy Reymond, Head of Vocational Rehabilitation Services at Unum had this to say about the figures: “One of the biggest barriers to managing mental health problems is the reluctance of staff to discuss these issues and while companies of all shapes and sizes increasingly understand the importance of good mental health, many simply don’t feel confident handling and communicating these issues in the workplace.”

“A robust employee benefits package can financially support employees if they need time away from work, but it can also be used earlier on to help prevent the problems from developing. Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) provide valuable counselling services to employees while Income Protection products provide staff with a replacement income of up to 80% if they are unable to work for long periods, as well as vocational rehabilitation services to help them to return to work when they are ready.”