Around nine in 10 employees (89 per cent) think it is important for bosses to prioritise staff mental health at work, according to a new survey by workplace expert, Acas, who is encouraging employers to talk to their staff to ensure mental wellbeing is supported in the workplace.

Whilst not everyone will show obvious signs of poor mental health, Acas says some possible signs include:

• appearing tired, anxious or withdrawn
• increase in sickness absence or being late to work
• changes in the standard of their work or focus on tasks
• being less interested in tasks they previously enjoyed
• changes in usual behaviour, mood or how the person behaves with the people they work with.

Acas Head of Inclusive Workplaces, Julie Dennis, said: “Bosses should treat poor mental health at work in the same way as physical illnesses and regularly ask their staff how they are doing.

“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.

“Mental health includes emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. It affects how someone thinks, feels and behaves. Having conversations with staff in a sympathetic way can be a good first step.”

By law (Equality Act 2010) someone with poor mental health can be considered to be disabled if:

• it has a ‘substantial adverse effect’ on their life – for example, they regularly cannot focus on a task, or it takes them longer to complete tasks
• it lasts, or is expected to last, at least 12 months
• it affects their ability to do their normal day-to-day activities – for example, interacting with people, following instructions or keeping set working times.

When making reasonable adjustments for mental health, Acas says employers should take into account that:

• every job is different, so what works in one situation might not work in another
• every employee is different, so what works for one employee might not work for another
• mental health changes over time, so what works for an employee now might not work in the future
• most reasonable adjustments are relatively
• easy and are of little to low cost but can make all the difference.

Acas advises it’s a good idea to work with the employee to make the right adjustments for them, even if the issue is not a disability, adding often, simple changes to the person’s working arrangements or responsibilities could be enough. They can cover any area of work, be inexpensive to implement and as simple as giving someone more frequent, shorter breaks or providing quiet rest areas.

According to the Office for National Statistics, 18.5 million days were lost in 2022 through sickness absence for mental health conditions.

For more advice from Acas on how to support mental health within the workplace click here.

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