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Mental health in the workplace affects us all. Whether you're an employer trying to support your team, a manager worried about someone you supervise or an employee struggling yourself, understanding mental health at work has never been more important.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), approximately 964,000 workers in the UK suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2024/25. That accounts for around 22.1 million working days lost. These represent real people in real workplaces across the country.
We believe that creating a safe workplace means looking after both physical and psychological wellbeing. This guide answers the most common questions about mental health at work and gives you practical steps to create a healthier, more supportive workplace.
What Is Mental Health?
Mental health is about how we think, feel and behave. It affects how we handle stress, relate to others and make decisions. Just like physical health, mental health exists on a spectrum. We all have mental health and it can change from day to day.
The most common mental health problems in the workplace are stress, anxiety and depression. These often develop in response to difficult life events such as bereavement or relationship breakdown, but they can also be caused or worsened by work-related issues like excessive workload, lack of support or unclear expectations.
Stress itself is not classed as a medical condition, but long periods of stress can trigger anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. The line between work-related stress and mental health conditions can become blurred, particularly when workplace factors aggravate pre-existing conditions.
What Are Employers' Responsibilities for Mental Health?
This is one of the most searched questions and for good reason. UK employers have legal duties when it comes to mental health.
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers must do everything reasonably practicable to support employees health, safety and wellbeing. This includes mental health. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments, including assessments of psychosocial hazards that could affect mental health.
Mental health must be treated with the same care and seriousness as physical health. This can include:
Conducting stress risk assessments to identify workplace stressors.
Taking action to remove or reduce those stressors as far as reasonably practicable.
Providing appropriate support when employees experience mental health difficulties.
Making reasonable adjustments where a mental health condition qualifies as a disability under the Equality Act 2010.
Creating an environment where people feel able to talk about mental health without fear of discrimination.
The 'Thriving at Work' report commissioned by the government sets out core standards that all employers should implement, including developing mental health awareness, encouraging open conversations and routinely monitoring employee wellbeing.
How Can Employers Support Mental Health at Work?
Supporting mental health often doesn't require expensive programmes or complex initiatives.
Create a Culture of Openness
The first step is normalising conversations about mental health. Include wellbeing in team meetings, toolbox talks and one-to-ones. When leaders talk openly about mental health and model healthy behaviours like taking proper breaks and switching off after work (i.e. not sending emails after finishing) , it gives everyone permission to do the same. Display information about available support in break rooms, notice boards and staff areas. Make it clear that mental health is valued and that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Train Your Managers
Managers are often the first to notice when someone is struggling. Training them to spot early warning signs, have supportive conversations and signpost to appropriate help is crucial. Mental Health First Aid training gives managers the confidence to approach these conversations with empathy and without judgement.
Mental health support starts with understanding that leaders need support too. Managers who are overwhelmed, burnt out and working excessive hours cannot provide the psychological safety their teams need.
Conduct Proper Risk Assessments
Mental health risks should be assessed using the same systematic approach as any other workplace hazard. The HSE's Management Standards identify six key areas to assess: demands, control, support, relationships, role clarity and change management.
Gather information through staff surveys, sickness absence data, exit interviews and conversations with employees. Look for patterns and trends. Where risks are identified, develop action plans to address them. We can help you with this!
Offer Practical Support
Make support easily accessible. This might include:
Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) offering confidential counselling.
Occupational health services.
Flexible working arrangements.
Phased return-to-work plans after absence.
Quiet rooms or wellness spaces.
Mental health days.
The key is making sure people know what's available and feel comfortable accessing it.
What Are the Signs Someone Is Struggling with Their Mental Health?
Not everyone shows obvious signs and it's important not to make assumptions. However, there are changes in behaviour that might indicate someone is experiencing difficulties:
Changes in usual patterns such as increased sickness absence, particularly on Mondays or Fridays, can be a warning sign. Declining work performance from previously reliable staff, increased irritability or emotional responses, withdrawal from colleagues and social situations or appearing tired, anxious or distracted are all worth paying attention to.
Some people may be struggling with little or no visible signs. This is why creating an environment where people feel safe to speak up is so important. Regular, informal check-ins with your team give opportunities for people to raise concerns before they escalate.
In sectors like construction, where mental health stigma remains particularly strong, the signs can be even harder to spot. Our blog on mental health in construction explores this in more detail.
How Do You Talk to Someone About Their Mental Health?
Many managers find this the most challenging aspect. The key is to be calm, patient and non-judgemental.
Choose a private, confidential setting where the person feels comfortable.
Use simple, open questions like "How are you doing?" or "I've noticed you seem a bit stressed lately, is everything okay?".
Give them time to respond without interrupting.
Listen actively and show empathy.
Avoid making assumptions or jumping to solutions.
Let them talk in their own words and at their own pace.
Be clear about confidentiality.
Explain that you won't share what they tell you without their permission unless there's a risk to their safety or someone else's.
If you need to involve HR or occupational health, be transparent about why and what you'll share.
Focus on support, not diagnosis. You're not expected to be a mental health expert.
Your role is to listen, show you care and help the person access appropriate support.
What Support Is Available for Employees?
Employees have several options for support:
At work: Many employers offer Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) providing free, confidential counselling. Occupational health services can advise on workplace adjustments. Some organisations have Mental Health First Aiders trained to provide initial support and signposting.
Healthcare: Your GP is usually the first port of call for NHS support. They can refer you to talking therapies, prescribe medication if appropriate or connect you with specialist mental health services.
External resources: Organisations like Mind, Samaritans and Mental Health UK offer helplines, online resources and local support services.
The government's Mental Health at Work resources provide additional guidance for both employers and employees.
The Link Between Work Design and Mental Health
There's growing recognition that mental health problems aren't just individual issues, they're often symptoms of poor work design. When jobs are structured with unrealistic demands, minimal control, inadequate support or unclear expectations, people suffer.
As we explored in our article on workplace stress management and work design, creating psychologically healthy work means designing roles that are stimulating without being overwhelming, give people genuine autonomy, allow for skill development, provide meaningful connections with others and have demands that are tolerable within normal working hours.
Giving someone more "flexibility" doesn't solve the problem if the core issue is an impossible workload. The solution lies in addressing the fundamental work design issues.
Moving Forward: Prevention Over Reaction
Too often, mental health support in workplaces is reactive. We wait until someone is off sick, performance has declined significantly or they've reached crisis point before we act.
The most effective approach is preventative. Regular stress risk assessments, proactive conversations about wellbeing, training for managers and work design that respects human limits all help prevent problems developing in the first place.
This doesn't mean you'll eliminate all mental health difficulties. Life events, genetic factors and circumstances outside work all play a role. But you can create a workplace where people feel supported, where early signs are spotted and acted on and where mental health is treated as a normal part of occupational health and safety.
How DuoDynamic Safety Solutions Can Help
We work with businesses across the UK to develop comprehensive approaches to workplace mental health and wellbeing. Our services include conducting stress risk assessments, delivering mental health awareness workshops, supporting the development of mental health policies and action plans and integrating psychological health into your broader health and safety management system.
Mental health support is part of creating genuinely safe workplaces. Whether you need help with stress risk assessment, broader ISO 45001 implementation or general health and safety advice, we're here to support you.
Get in touch to discuss how we can help create a healthier, safer workplace for your team.
