While mental health resources are more widely available than ever, they’re not being used, particularly by the people who put them in place, particularly leaders of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) worldwide, new research has revealed.
In fact, only 5% of SME leaders struggling with mental ill health worldwide accessed the support their businesses provide, according to the research from global HR consultancy Peninsula Group. The study, which surveyed over 79,000 businesses across the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, revealed that one in three employers globally saw a rise in mental health-related sickness absence in the past 12 months.
At the same time, one in seven SME leaders in the UK reported experiencing poor mental health over the same period, but only 5% of those accessed their company’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), even though 69% of employers surveyed offer one.
“Employers have a duty of care to safeguard the wellbeing of their people. However, the pressures that employers themselves feel can often be overlooked,” said Alan Price, Chief Operations Officer at Peninsula Group. “One in seven UK employers surveyed reported experiencing poor mental health over the last year. And when they’re struggling, who do they turn to?”
The answer, in most cases, is not work. Instead, 23% spoke to friends and family, 14% spoke to their GP, and only a handful used formal workplace channels.
MENTAL HEALTH-RELATED ABSENCES
Despite positive trends – such as a reported decline in mental health-related absences in some regions – employers remain overwhelmingly uncertain that staff feel safe speaking up. According to the survey, 76% of global respondents said they are not fully confident their employees would disclose a mental health issue at work.
“That’s a huge figure. And it’s clear that more still needs to be done by employers to help bring this number down,” Price continued. “Whilst the onus isn’t solely on the employer, this tells us that mental health stigma is still very much present in the workplace.”
Canada and Ireland were the countries where employers felt the least confident that employees would open up, with one in three admitting they were either “unsure” or “not confident.” At the same time, employees in Canada were the least likely to speak up if struggling with their mental health, while New Zealand employers were the most likely to take time off for their own mental health.
MENTAL HEALTH DAYS
The whitepaper also revealed how few businesses offer mental health days beyond normal leave allowances. Only 20% of employers globally do so. In Canada, mental health days are more common. But 85% of UK employers, said they do not offer mental health days and do not plan to introduce them within the next year. The majority in Ireland (83%), New Zealand (73%) and Australia (72%) said the same.
One UK employer commented: “I do not intend to offer additional leave for ‘mental health days’ – that would increase the strain on the remaining employees as well as increase costs we can’t recover.”
DEEP-ROOTED STIGMA
Despite increased awareness campaigns and a cultural shift towards openness, the survey revealed deeply rooted stigma in some organisations. Some employers shared overtly dismissive views, such as: “Mental health has become a bit of an excuse… Of course, there are genuine cases – but there seem to be an awful lot of people jumping on a bandwagon…”
Another remarked: “Obsessing over mental health creates insecurity, fearfulness and is also emasculating.” Such comments highlight how education and culture change remain critical, especially at leadership level.
PRIORITISING WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Interestingly, the research found that 55% of business leaders had noticed more open discussions about mental health at work over the last year. Nearly half (48%) said they and their staff are now prioritising work-life balance. But there’s a striking contradiction. If conversations are becoming more common, why aren’t more employees – and leaders – seeking help?
“This begs the question, why are so many leaders not confident their employees would disclose if they were struggling with a mental health issue?” noted Bertrand Stern-Gillet, CEO of HA Wisdom Wellbeing, part of the Peninsula Group. “If conversations are more open, and work-life balance is on the rise, then where is the disconnect?”
Stern-Gillet believes many companies may be treating wellbeing as a “tick box” exercise, rather than embedding it into workplace culture. “Are the measures being put in place by employers to help manage mental health in the workplace actually being embedded into workplaces or just a tick box exercise?”
Perhaps most worryingly, 51% of global businesses said they had no plans to introduce any new mental health support – such as EAPs, training, or mental health first aiders –in the coming 12 months. “It remains to be seen what impact this will have,” he added.
SIGNS OF PROGRESS
There are reasons to be optimistic. The UK continues to lead in some areas, with one in five SMEs now having a mental health first aider in place, compared with one in eight globally. Around one in 10 employers globally say they plan to introduce mental health first aiders in the next year.
Even so, progress isn’t enough on its own, noted Price. “It’s clear that progress is being made – many employers are taking steps to support staff, but our data shows there is still plenty of opportunity to expand that support further. Even small changes, like basic training for managers, can make a big difference.”
WAKE-UP CALL FOR BUSINESS LEADERS
The report’s findings are a wake-up call to business leaders. Mental health isn’t just a personal issue, it’s a business one. Ignoring it comes at a cost: absenteeism, presenteeism, disengagement, and ultimately, attrition.
While resources may exist on paper, if people don’t feel safe using them, the support is meaningless. Mental health support can’t stop at policy, it must become part of how business is done, concludes the report. Download the full whitepaper here.
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