Government's mental health plans must include line managers

9th October 2008

Employers’ Forum on Disability (EFD) today welcomes the government’s plans to use Access to Work funding to help people with mental health problems stay in work.

EFD believes that these pilot plans, which were announced on 8 October by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions James Purnell, need the experience and input of line managers and employers to make it a success.

We also welcome the announcement today by Shift, the Government’s national anti-stigma initiative, and Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, who have launched a new website to give employers materials to help them to manage mental health at work.

According to research published today by EFD and Great Place to Work® Institute, line managers often want to support employees experiencing mental distress, but lack the means or authority to do so.

EFD and the Great Place to Work® Institute conducted an online survey of nearly 500 line managers working for their members and clients. The survey, which was sponsored by Unum, sought their views on mental health at work, tested their understanding of the issues, and explored how managers help employees.

Susan Scott-Parker, Chief Executive of Employers’ Forum on Disability, said: “It is encouraging that so many line managers want to support employees experiencing mental distress. It shows employers are becoming more disability confident.

“However, many organisations do not take a best practice approach to mental health issues at work. Any plans to help people with mental health issues stay in work need the experience of both employees and employers to be a success.”

Williams Johnson, Commercial Manager of the Great Place to Work® Institute, said:

“Increasingly employers recognise that proactively managing their employees’ health and wellbeing is extremely beneficial for their business.  

“Absenteeism rates and staff turnover are far lower at organisations that have comprehensive policies to monitor and support employees’ wellbeing. The study highlights that line managers needs more support if they are to make a difference to employees and workplaces affected by mental health issues.”

Steve Walters, Health and Safety Executive with EEF and Director of Making Connections, said: “When I became unwell at work with bi-polar affective disorder, I was impressed with the quality of support I received from my employer.

“It makes good business sense to manage and support people’s mental health needs at work.  Employers need to make the most of everyone’s abilities and maximise each individual’s performance.”

The survey, published on World Mental Health Day 2008, was analysed and reviewed by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health. Key findings include:

• 76 per cent of line managers said they have managed at least one person who they knew had mental ill health.
• 60 per cent underestimated the percentage of the UK population that experiences mental ill health.
• More than 30 per cent of line managers have talked to an employee with mental ill health – yet less than 10 per cent have authorised spending for an external assessment.
• 13 per cent of line managers have had training on mental health.awareness, compared to 33 per cent who have received training on disability discrimination law.
• 58 per cent could authorise spending on temporary staff to cover for absence due to mental ill health.

Less than half the line managers surveyed knew that they could choose not to discipline an employee for a reason related to their mental health.

Ends

Notes to editors

For interviews with EFD spokespeople and Steve Walters, please contact the EFD press office on 0207 089 2482. The full report is available to download via the attachment above. 

To contact the Great Place to Work institute press office, please contact Yonel Osman, Public Affairs Manager  on +44 (0)7595 201 743.

For the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health press office, please contact Andy Bell, Head of Public Affairs, tel 020 7827 8353. The new Shift and Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health website is available at: www.shift.org.uk/reviewpanel 

Media briefing on EFD and Great Place to Work line managers and mental health survey

A total of 437 line managers from around 60 employers gave comprehensive answers to the survey questions.  Four organisations made up the majority of the responses, with more than 50 line managers from each completing the survey. Typically, respondents came from large, public sector workplaces.

The survey, which was sponsored by Unum, posed more than 30 questions on a broad range of topics relating to the effects of mental ill health and asked how equipped line managers were to deal with them in the workplace.

1) Perceptions of and knowledge about mental ill health

71 per cent thought depression was the most common mental illness; 27 per cent said anxiety.

Mixed anxiety and depression is the most common form of mental distress, so line managers have a reasonably accurate understanding of mental ill health.

2) Making adjustments at work

More than 30 per cent of line managers have:

• Talked to an employee with mental ill health.
• Allowed an employee to take extra time.
• Authorised flexible working hours.
• Kept in touch with an employee absent due to mental health.

However, less than 10 per cent have:

• Authorised spending for an external assessment.
• Recorded mental health absences as disability leave.
• Authorised redeployment to another department.

3) Training

• In the past year, 24 per cent had training on their company’s policy on disability and/or mental health.

4) Disability leave

• 79 per cent of line managers were expected to keep in touch with an absent employee.
• 31 per cent could record mental health-related absence as disability leave rather than standard sickness absence.

5) Referrals: where can line managers refer their employees?

• Human resources department: 83 per cent.  
• Occupational health: 73 per cent.
• Counselling: 67 per cent.
• A GP: 29 per cent.

Media enquiries, please contact:

Brenda Otema, Communications & Marketing Officer
Employers' Forum on Disability
Email: brenda.otema@efd.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7403 3020

About Employers' Forum on Disability

Employers' Forum on Disability is the employers' organisation focused on disability as it affects employers and service providers. With over 300 members, EFD represents organisations that employ around 20 per cent of the UK workforce.Since its establishment in 1991, EFD has worked closely with government and other stakeholders, sharing best practice to make it easier to employ disabled people and serve disabled customers.

www.efd.org.uk