Poor mental health costs 300,000 jobs and £99bn in UK each year
Approximately 300,000 people in the UK with long-term mental health issues lose their jobs each year, 50% more than do so due to physical health, according to a government-commissioned study. The Thriving at Work report, published on Thursday, estimates that poor mental health costs the UK economy up to £99bn ($131bn) annually, £42bn of which employers bear. The report calls for employers to support six core principles, including increasing awareness and monitoring staff well-being. Research by Deloitte suggests businesses could receive returns of between £1.50 and £9 for each £1 invested in health interventions.

We published the government response to this independent review on 30 November 2017.

Thriving at Work sets out what employers can do to better support all employees, including those with mental health problems to remain in and thrive through work.

It includes a detailed analysis that explores the significant cost of poor mental health to UK businesses and the economy as a whole. Poor mental health costs employers between £33 billion and £42 billion a year, with an annual cost to the UK economy of between £74 billion and £99 billion.

The review quantifies how investing in supporting mental health at work is good for business and productivity. The most important recommendation is that all employers, regardless of size or industry, should adopt 6 ‘mental health core standards’ that lay basic foundations for an approach to workplace mental health. It also details how large employers and the public sector can develop these standards further through a set of ‘mental health enhanced standards’. The review also makes a series of recommendations to government and other bodies.