Employers offer warning over mental health

A number of UK employers have cautioned members of the management team against ignoring issues surrounding mental health, it has been claimed.

According to data released by the Shaw Trust, a charity specialising in mental health issues, it has been estimated by businesses that over the course of an entire working life, a maximum of five per cent of employees encountered mental health difficulties, reports Personnel Today.

"It's important for managers to understand how they can identify and manage stress in their teams," said Beverly Ashby, director of human resources at Bupa.

"While [human resources] might want to champion the issue, it's the managers who are on the front line," she added.

However, data released by the Office for National Statistics reveals that out of every four employees, one experiences a form of mental illness.

The estimations outlined by the trust are based upon the responses of almost three out of every four polled businesses, out of a total of 550 organisations.

The Shaw Trust was established in 1981.