This document discusses workplace mental health and its impact. It notes that mental illness will become the second leading cause of disability worldwide by 2020. Approximately 27% of Europeans experience mental health issues. Mental health problems account for 30-40% of sick leave and over 1 billion euros in costs in Ireland alone. The document outlines how mental health issues affect job performance and productivity. It also details the quantitative and qualitative costs of mental illness in the workplace in areas like absenteeism and presenteeism. Promoting mental wellness can provide benefits to businesses in areas such as recruitment, retention, engagement, efficiency, and innovation. The research findings call for organizations to take a proactive rather than reactive approach to mental health and for initiatives to be

1. WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH
Everybody’s a Winner!

2. FFF
We all have mental health
LIFE……
Mentally Unwell Mentally Healthy
It’s what makes us human

6. “The economic costs of
mental illness will be more
than cancer, diabetes,
and respiratory ailments
put together.”
Director, U.S. National Institute of Mental Health
at the World Economic Forum, January 2015

7. The Facts
• The World Health Organization estimates that by
2020 depression will become the second most
important cause of disability in the world
• 27 percent of the adult population in Europe is
affected by mental health problems, that is 93 million
people
• Responsible for 30 – 40% of chronic sick leave
• In Ireland, the overall cost of absenteeism is close to
one billion euro

8. 85
64
54
48
48
42
37
29
18
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Find it difficult to concentrate
Take longer to do tasks
Have difficulty in making decisions
Find it more difficult juggling a number of tasks
Less patient with customers/clients
Put off challenging work
More likely to get into conflict with collegues
Find it more difficult to learn new tasks
Rely more on colleagues to help get work done
Ways in which mental health in the workplace affects performance
CIPD 2016 (n=99)

9. Costs Category
Data
Quantitative Qualitative
Linked to absenteeism
Days lost
Benefits paid to the absent
employee
Health insurance contributions
Overtime for colleagues
Management and human resources‘
time
Replacement of absent employee
Job advert fees and temporary
staff agency fees
Extra salary costs for insecure
jobs
Recruitment, training and
apprenticeship time
Extra work for colleagues during the
transitory period
Slowing of pace/decline in results
Linked to presenteeism
Drop in productivity
Penalties linked to ex- tended
deadlines
More errors & reduced quality
of work
Drop in innovation
Loss of ability to win a market /
satisfy clients
Management‘s time spent on
adaptations within the team
Tarnished image for clients / group
Reduced attractiveness of
company
Management and human
resources‘ time
Risks linked to a decline in
collective and interpersonal
relationships
Legal fees: lawsuits and
grievances
Stress-related industrial accidents
Increase in costs of resulting
absenteeism
Increase in work insurance
premiums
Rise of benefits for work
stoppages

10. • Wider recruitment
pool
• Retention of staff
• Improved employee
engagement
• Improved talent
management
Efficiency
• Improves creativity
• Better understanding
of customers
Innovation
• Better engagement
with customers
• Delivery of better
services
• Enhanced
reputation
Effectiveness

11. Research Findings
• Mental illness is seen as an expensive to be avoided. However little if anything at all is
done to deal with the issue
• Business seem to take a reactive rather than proactive approach. Even though research
shows through cost/benefit analysis the clear financial benefits to dealing with mental
health, the connection is yet to be made by business
• Management have a heavy reliance on HR to deal with the issue
• The positive attitude HR managers have towards inclusion and diversity does not reach
the rest of the management team. Without initiatives being led from the top, they have
little hope of being successful
• There is a lack of appreciation for the role culture has in the success of a business and
how creating a diverse workforce can give a company a competitive advantage.

12. “Drucker famously said ‘Culture eats strategy for
breakfast.’ I think he’s wrong; culture eats
everything. And culture in every company starts
with how senior people behave.”
Steve Hatch, Managing Director, Facebook UK

13. Proactive approach to mental health
Lead from Board level
Encourages openness about mental health
Works with employees to maintain
productiveness
Absenteeism running at 1.9%
Market share grew from 15% 2008 to 24%
in 2015
Growth for 2016 €220

14. Creating a Positive Mental Health Culture
• Embrace diversity
• Educate & Encourage mental health literacy
• Endorsement and Engagement from the top down
• Engage for change
• Implement positive changes
• Measure your success
• Sustain your organisations mental health

15. Management Focus
• Develop a mental health strategy
• Carry out policy and practice reviews
• Ensure line managers are confident discussing mental health
• Normalise mental health
• Routinely take stock of the organisations mental health
• Promote good work/life balance
• Promote positive work culture
• Foster employee engagement
• Ensure the voices of people with mental health problems are heard

16. It All Starts with a conversation…..

17. As a colleague starting the conversation:
Talk, but listen too: Simply being there will mean a lot
Take your lead from the person
Avoid the clichés e.g. “Cheer up”
Small things can make a big difference
Don’t just talk about mental health

18. As a Manager starting the conversation:
Talk to the person privately & maintain confidentiality
Be honest in relation to performance
Don’t make assumptions
Ask what would help the person
Treat them with respect
Signpost to supports available & keep in touch

19. Thank You
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