Mental health issues account for most sick days off

Mental health issues account for more than half of the work days that employees in the UK are absent for ill-health reasons. Out-Law.com reports that this is according to a new report published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which showed that of the 26.8m working days lost due to work-related ill health in 2017/18, 57% – 15.4m – were due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety. The report revealed that 595 000 workers suffer from work-related stress, depression or anxiety, and that 239 000 workers experienced a new case of such mental illness in 2017/18. Regulatory compliance expert Laura Gillespie of Pinsent Masons, said the statistics show that mental health was a serious issue in the workplace. ‘Traditionally, many employers have focused on managing physical health and safety but legal duties concerning health and safety are not limited in that way,’ Gillespie said. ‘Employers should recognise the risk that work-related stress can pose. Putting in place support mechanisms and creating a culture where employees feel able to share challenges with mental health should enable employers to identify risks and put strategies in place to manage those,’ she said.