6. Mental health support

The WHO defines good mental health as: “A state of wellbeing in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.”

Prospect says that employers are increasingly aware that mental health is an important workplace issue and provide a range of wellbeing support services. However, while this is important, “too few put similar resources into considering and tackling the ways in which the workplace causes mental ill health”.

UNISON points out that, according to NHS Digital, a third of all fit notes — a statement of fitness for work from the GP — are for mental health problems. Yet across the economy eight in ten employers have no mental health policy in place. Achieving serious progress toward effective mental health policies will therefore require “a fundamental cultural shift that embeds a wide range of entirely new policies and practices”.