The bad news
The costs associated with poor mental health in the workplace amount to nearly £1.2bn a year in Wales. The stigma that still stops many people being open about their mental ill health means that you may not be aware of the extent of the problem in your business, but you can expect that at any one time, one in six of your workforce will be experiencing mental ill health. Even when employers are aware of an issue, they often feel unsure as to how to respond.

The good news
Taking some simple steps to ensure your policies and practices promote good mental health and that all line managers know how to respond to mental ill health can significantly cut the costs of sickness absence, reduced productivity (due to ‘presenteeism’) and increased staff turnover, as well as fostering good staff morale and increasing staff loyalty.

What can employers do?

Gofal’s training and support for employers

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