{"id":2022,"date":"2022-01-19T04:47:46","date_gmt":"2022-01-19T04:47:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uk.legalvision.com.au\/?p=2022"},"modified":"2022-06-08T07:38:18","modified_gmt":"2022-06-08T06:38:18","slug":"employees-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/employees-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"What Should I Know About Supporting Employees With Mental Health Problems?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As an employer, you have likely had to handle the occasional sick leave request<\/a> from your employees. The illness is possibly one they may openly speak about that affects their physical health, such as having flu or a stomach bug. However, there are some health problems that your employees may not be so open about, such as mental health problems. With the COVID-19 pandemic taking over much of our everyday lives, most of us are aware of its impact on mental well-being.<\/span>\u00a0According to the UK Government<\/span><\/a>, employers are faced with costs of between \u00a333 billion and \u00a342 billion each year due to poor mental health.<\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore, it is essential to be aware that your employees may be suffering from mental health problems and support them. Your employees\u2019 mental health may be due to mental illnesses that their job contributes towards, and you can support them with. On the other hand, they may not be workplace mental health issues, but you can still support them at work as their employer. <\/span>This article will explain how to support employees with mental health problems. It will explain your obligation as an employer towards employees with poor mental health and how you can help them in the workplace.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Are Mental Health Problems?<\/h2>\n

A person\u2019s mental health consists of how they think, feel and behave.\u00a0<\/span>There is a wide range of mental health illnesses, and some are more well known than others. For example, you may have heard about depression, anxiety and stress. However, you may be less familiar with mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Whilst stress or work-related stress is not a medical condition, it can significantly impact a person’s mental wellbeing. In the UK, the number of people who will experience mental health problems at some stage in their lives is one in four<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is an Employer’s Obligation in Terms of Mental Health Problems?<\/h2>\n

As an employer, you are under a legal duty to support your employees in terms of their health, safety and wellbeing<\/a>. This is your \u2018duty of care\u2019. This means that you must:<\/span><\/p>\n