The Business Case for Addressing Mind Health at Work

As we become increasingly aware of the cost of mental ill-health on individuals and businesses, doing nothing is no longer an option.

People spend a significant proportion of their time at work (today, many of them doing so from their homes) and research tells us that working practices have a considerable impact (positive and negative) on our wellbeing.

Even looking at the most conservative statistics about impact, the financial cost of mental ill-health is substantial.

The Centre for Mental Health estimates an annual national bill to UK business of ￡34.9 billion stemming from the poor mind health of their employees.

The bulk of this massive amount is in the form of reduced productivity among people who are at work but perhaps should not be (known as presenteeism). Absenteeism, those that are not at work, costs about half the amount of presenteeism and the remainder is a calculation of costs relating to high turnover rates.

In 2007, The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health calculated the average cost of one person leaving their job at ￡11,625 – just under ￡16,000 at 2022 prices.

This calculation consists of legal fees; rehiring costs – staff time, advertising, interviewing…; loss of employee whilst recruiting; time for new employee to ‘get up to speed’; impact on others’ productivity.

Petros Protection

For ￡16,000, at date of publishing, 85 staff members could be trained in a Petros intervention evidenced programme to improve retention and reduce sickness absence. If just one of the attendees who intended to leave then didn’t, the intervention becomes cost neutral. More than one and you are potentially into substantial cost savings.

In one organisation, Petros interventions have been proved to reduced staff turnover by 17%. That’s a saving to that business of over ￡200,000.

On top of this, no amount of financial consideration takes account of the human cost, which is, arguably, incalculable. No case should need to be made for doing the right thing.

So, the question we need to ask is not, “Can our business afford to address the issue of mind health at work?” , but “Can it afford NOT to?”

So, where do we start? How can organisations ensure people aren’t just surviving, but positively thriving?

In our FREE short eBook, Wellbeing in the Workplace, I look at a range of solutions, interventions and strategies to enhance the psychological wellbeing of employees. I will mostly focus exclusively on emotional, mental and psychological health, not physical health. While mind and body are inextricably linked, the protection of physical health is well covered in existing guidance and legislation. The book also explains The Model of Dynamic Adaption? which suggests WHERE and, importantly, HOW to intervene, thus promoting the best possible mind health for your staff.

Download our free eBook, Wellbeing in the Workplace, today and start to address the very real business case of mind health at work.