MANCHESTER, England–(BUSINESS WIRE)–New research from Peninsula Group shows the impact that mental health is having on small and medium-sized businesses.
The global HR, employment law and health & safety consultancy surveyed 79,000 businesses across Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, revealing a 140% increase year-on-year in the number of employers seeing the impact from poor mental health across their workforce.
Alan Price, Peninsula Group Chief Operations Officer, says, “Mental health is now the leading cause of absence, with an estimated 17.1 million days lost to mental health in the UK alone1. We wanted to understand more the pressures that SME owners are under, and the real life impact this epidemic is having on businesses around the world.
“The Lancet Commission estimates that by 2030 the cost to global business from mental health will reach $16 trillion3. So it’s critical that employers take this seriously. Healthy employees make for healthy workplaces, so it’s encouraging to see many employers are comfortable discussing both their own and their employees’ mental health. SMEs around the world are under pressure like never before, and the impact this has cannot be underestimated.
“With increased pressure on traditional health services, more businesses are turning to EAPs to provide meaningful and immediate support to their employees. With an average ROI of 10:12 they are an affordable and financially viable way of offering meaningful support. And it’s good to see bosses leading from the front, with a 24% YoY increase in the number of employers using the company EAP when they themselves are struggling.
“There is still work to be done to ensure that global workplaces are healthy and happy, both physically and mentally, but it’s clear that progress is being made. The willingness of people to speak about mental health concerns and a change in workplace attitude towards them are major steps in the right direction.”
Key findings include:
Mental health days
Our data found that Canadian and Kiwi employers are most likely to offer mental health days in addition to personal leave entitlement than any other. In comparison, 83% of employers in the UK, 83% in Ireland, and 77% in Australia do not offer mental health days or plan to introduce them in the next 12 months.
Whilst ‘duvet days’ certainly generate headlines; most SMEs do not believe that they are the answer to addressing mental health concerns. And the results look a lot different when compared to how much annual leave employees in each country get.
Workers in the UK are entitled to 5.6 weeks paid annual leave, whereas in Canada the standard is between 2-3 weeks. So it’s no surprise that Canadian employers are almost 4 times as likely to offer additional mental health days on top of this than UK employers.
Employers in New Zealand are the most generous, with 20% offering mental health days in addition to the four weeks’ annual leave entitlement. Another 16% plan to introduce them in the next 12 months.
Work/life balance
The percentage of SME owners and managers prioritising work/life balance fell in the both the UK and Ireland, as the drive to get people back into the workplace full time continues. However it rose by at least 50% across Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
Employer support
Globally there was a 66% YoY increase in the number of businesses who have introduced mental health first aiders to the workplace, with Ireland seeing an 86% YoY increase.
40% of UK businesses have introduced more support measures and 20% have mental health first aiders in place – double that of all the other countries surveyed.
Significant steps have also been taken in Canada and Australia. There was a 52% YoY increase in the number of Australian businesses providing mental health first aiders, and a 76% YoY increase in support measures across Canadian workplaces.
Worryingly when people do speak out about their mental health, 1 in 3 of those who spoke to their boss said that nothing was done. One respondent commented ‘Whilst I am confident supporting employees, I am not confident raising issues I personally have. As a long-tenured manager, I feel my needs are overlooked/brushed over, whilst support and adjustments are offered to younger colleagues.’
Absence
Mental health related absence rose 21% globally over the last year, including significant increases in both Canada and Australia. However both the UK and Ireland reported a decrease in sickness absence year on year, a potential indicator of presenteeism creeping back into the workplace.
Notes to editor
Full survey data and in-depth analysis is available to download at www.peninsulagrouplimited.com/resource-hub/business-advice/uk-lagging-in-mental-health-conversations/
Alan Price, COO at Peninsula Group Global, is available for interview.
Method of survey
The survey was conducted from 13-20 May 2024 across Peninsula Group’s global client base.
Other resources
1Health and safety statistics 2022 (hse.gov.uk)
2EAPA-ROI-Report-2023.pdf
3Lancet Commission_policy brief_MHIN2.v3.pdf (mhinnovation.net)
www.healthassured.org/review-of-ha-2023-service-trends/
About Peninsula Group
Across the globe, Peninsula Group supports employers through their toughest workplace challenges. Each day, small business owners face hurdles of all different sizes. From HR to health & safety, technology to tax advice, the Peninsula Group companies have got you covered, providing familiar reassurance, expert knowledge, and practical solutions to keep you compliant. It’s how more than 140,000 employers around the world reduce their legal risk and free up more time for their business.
Contacts
Miriam Payne – Associate Director of Group PR and Comms
T: 07929 711809 | E: Miriam.payne@peninsula-uk.com
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