Almost half of managers in medium-sized businesses struggle to discuss mental health in the workplace, despite this being a leading cause of absence in SMEs.
Research from Unum found that mental health problems contributed to the £29bn lost to sickness-related productivity drops each year.
Overall 47 per cent of decision makers in medium-sized businesses, and 34 per cent of managers in smaller business say they hesitate to discuss mental health.
Unum says this gap in confidence means employees are missing out on early intervention and support – which could improve staff wellbeing and potentially reduce both absenteeism and presenteeism.
Unum says SMEs need to invest in line manager training to address this issue. Unum UK HR director Jane Hulme says: “Training can be a game changer, giving managers the self-assurance to spot the early signs that something’s not right, and start the conversations that matter.”
Unum says that its research show getting appropriate help and support can alleviate issues.
It says that last year it facilitated more than 42,000 mental health appointments through its support services, including its Help@hand app.
It said it found that 71 per cent of employees using the app reported improved mental wellbeing, whilst 91 per cent felt better after applying strategies from their sessions.
Meanwhile, 71 per cent said Help@hand helped them overcome challenges or personal setbacks.
Hulme adds: “The Keep Britain Working review has placed workforce health and absence management at the centre of the national agenda.
“With sickness absence up 62 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels, employees now lose an average of 9.4 working days a year to ill health. For SMEs, this is a wake-up call and a reminder of the critical role that employers can play in supporting mental wellbeing. By combining manager training with accessible digital health services, SMEs can help tackle the UK’s leading cause of absence head-on.”
