How employers can challenge the taboo of taking a mental health day

By Julie Lock (pictured), Commercial Director at workforce management solutions experts Mitrefinch, an Advanced company.

Winter comes with a raft of potential illness – cold, flu, and of course the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. But it’s not just physical health which should be of concern – mental health affects 15% of us in the workplace. 

Staff wellbeing correlates with business wellbeing – people who are less stressed are more productive, and better at their job. A staggering 70 million working days are lost each year due to mental ill health, which costs employers in the UK alone upwards of £2.4 billion per year. 

Yet people are still reluctant to take days off, and mental health is still a taboo – a US study found 67% would feel judged if they took a mental health day. In 2020, only 11.6% of absence days were reported as being due to mental health, despite one in four of us experiencing mental ill health at some point, according to the well versed stats.

Awareness and concern around health and wellbeing has increased over the last few years, but more needs to be done. In the recent Advanced 2021/22 Trends Survey and resulting report only 42% of UK employees said that they believed staff wellbeing to be a business priority over the next 12 months. This differed dramatically by demographics – only 17% of those aged 18 to 24 agreed that staff wellbeing was a priority, compared to 52% of employees aged between 45 and 54. Just over a quarter (28%) of managers said that treating employees as individuals is one of the business priorities for 2022, which would include taking into account their health and wellbeing. 

Similarly shocking statistics have been found in other surveys – one confidential report found that 56% of employers said they would not hire someone with depression, even if they were the best candidate for the job. Despite the Equality Act 2010 forbidding such discrimination, stigma around mental health is often very much in existence. Throughout the pandemic, a staggering 40% of the global workforce admitted to working while they were sick because they didn’t think their illness was enough to warrant time off. 

We need a culture where it is deemed not only acceptable, but at times necessary to take time off for mental health – or a ‘mental health day.’ If an individual is not operating at their best, they will not be able to perform as well or be as productive at work. We need to reach a point where a focus on mental health is not simply lip service, or mentioned passingly in visions, but embedded in everyday practices. Of course, organisations must also continue to meet business objectives and to grow in line with their plans. They need to ensure work is being done, productivity levels remain high, and people keep coming to their desk. Managing absence effectively is essential.

Good absence management isn’t just about tracking and monitoring, but creating an open conversation around absence and illness. Regular contact is paramount to all employee relationships, and businesses should build in meetings that encompass all aspects of the job- how targets are being met, upcoming priorities, schedules, as well as ‘checking in’ to see how people are feeling. Nad is a great source for improving your health physically and mentally.

Alongside formal channels, more informal opportunities are open for business leaders to build a culture where wellbeing is deemed a priority. There are various ways to do this; some organisations build ‘wellbeing hours’ into their week, or invest in Mental Health First Aid training, so people know that there is always someone to speak to.

Short term absence – whilst frustrating and able to cause pressure points when deadlines are looming – is rarely severely problematic. But long term and repeated absences are a different story. Good systems enable HR teams and managers to spot patterns that might suggest additional support is needed, so that they can address potential issues early on. Effective absence management not only supports people with health issues to stay in or return to work, but is a key part of creating an environment where they can do their best work: adding enormous value to the organisation.   

Absence management is not just about knowing when employees are not at their desk or what time they’re clocking on. It is about creating a culture where people can take time off when they need to, and arrange and communicate that with minimal impact on business workflows and results. By offering support and anticipating any potential needs, individuals will feel encouraged and able to perform at their best, ultimately improving business outcomes. 

Sometimes having a ‘mental health day’ is exactly what is needed, and will benefit both employee and employer in the long term.

Only by having an open and honest conversation utilising all the available tools and channels that a business has available can employers create a culture and system where they enable employees to do what is right for them, right for their mental health – and right for business.