In a survey of 1,025 employees carried out by ACAS, 9 in 10 said they thought it was important for mental health to be prioritised at work.

As a result, ACAS is encouraging employers to have empathetic conversations with their staff to ensure mental wellbeing is supported in the workplace.

Many do not like to talk about mental health and not everyone will show obvious signs of poor mental health. So, how can you detect if someone is suffering?

ACAS highlighted the following possible signs:

  • They appear tired, anxious or withdrawn.
  • They are late to work (especially if this is a change) or have increasingly been off work sick.
  • Their focus on tasks or standard of work drops.
  • They seem less interested in tasks they previously enjoyed.
  • Their behaviour with others changes.

ACAS Head of Inclusive Workplaces Julie Dennis has reminded employers that “some people with poor mental health can also be considered disabled under the Equality Act, which means an employer must make reasonable adjustments at work.”

Figures provided by the Office for National Statistics show that 18.5 million work days were lost in 2022 because of mental health conditions.

Being sensitive to mental health conditions may help you to both improve your employees wellbeing but also increase productivity.

See: https://www.acas.org.uk/9-in-10-employees-want-bosses-to-prioritise-mental-health-at-work