Mental health: Combating stress

Maintaining mental wellbeing within the workforce is a matter of major concern for many employers, as the stresses of the last two years continue to make their mark.

The number of working days lost to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in the UK has grown progressively since 2017, reaching 54% in the Health and Safety Executive’s latest Labour Force study.

Coronavirus has only intensified this trend, with the Stress Management Society identifying disconnection, isolation and lack of control during lockdown as the main factors of a peak in stress at work.

So with a mental-health crisis now emerging, what can employers do to better protect their interests and those of their workforce?