Investing in occupational health and supporting mental health in the workplace is good for business and here’s why…
At UKIM Occupational Health & Wellbeing, we think that people’s mental health should be supported all the time and when people need it, so on days like ‘Blue Monday’ and any other possible day, there’s not a high rate of absences or lack of workplace productivity due to poor mental health.
With wellbeing support, businesses will be able to operate fully and effectively as there wouldn’t be so many absences. Mental health contributes to a significant amount of UK work absences and so tackling this issue means workforces will be full, more productive, and effective. Promoting positive mental wellbeing, as well as implementing wellbeing strategies and support, means that employees will be happier, healthier and focussed at work.
In addition to operational benefits, mental health support in the workplace actually helps with retention as employees are happier and feel valued. Not to mention, such support really boosts recruitment as people today are prioritising health in the workplace and actively seeking this as an employee benefit. Who wouldn’t want to boost retention, recruitment, and public perception?
- Reduction in absences
- Reduction in absence and presenteeism costs
- Improved productivity
- Higher return on investment
- Improved efficiency
- Better retention
We have a ranging suite of mental health and wellbeing services so that businesses and employees have the much-needed tailored support, so that both can remain successful and prosperous.
Our mental health and wellbeing services include:
How does poor mental health impact workplaces?
Some people might not think that mental health has an impact on workplaces, but it has a much greater impact that goes as far as the economy. This is because poor mental health can make people feel unwell with effects such as tiredness and fatigue, stress and anxiety, stomach aches, headaches and so much more. All of which increase work sickness absences.
Poor mental health, when not supported, can lead to serious problems like depression and generalised anxiety disorder, where it can negatively impact people’s day-to-day, making it more difficult to function as normal. With these issues, people can struggle to go to work and so there’s high levels of sickness absences. In the UK, 1 in 4 people suffer from poor mental health and it actually accounts for 51% of long-term sickness, which is costing the UK £28 billion annually.
Negative mental health also increases levels of presenteeism; this is when people who are unwell remain at work and are not performing as well as they would be when they’re healthy and fit to work. This means that efficiency and standards at work from the individuals with poor mental health might not be at high standards like they should be.
The lack of productivity and reduction in standards costs businesses a lot of money. Research shows that the hidden costs of employee sickness for businesses in the UK has reached a high of £103 billion.
Ultimately, poor mental health and wellbeing levels have negative impacts on businesses financially through high costs associated with absences and presenteeism. It doesn’t stop there though, as it also causes problems operationally with staff shortages due to absences and poor work quality with the higher levels of presenteeism.
At UKIM Occupational Health & Wellbeing, we’re here to help you build a healthier, happier, and more productive workforce. Get in touch with us today to discuss tailored occupational health solutions that deliver measurable results for your business.
