More than 11 million working adults in the UK have taken time off work for poor mental wellbeing, with workers absent for between two and five days on average. This has cost businesses an estimated 40m working days each year, according to research from not-for-profit healthcare provider Benenden Health.

The research, which asked employees to consider the impact of their mental health throughout their working life, rather than solely during the Covid-19 pandemic, showed that only half of workers who took time off due to poor mental wellbeing said they were honest with their employer about the reason for their absence. Three in ten said they have instead cited a physical issue and as many as a quarter took annual leave to avoid any questions or embarrassment

Almost three quarters of UK employers acknowledged there is a stigma around discussing mental health at work, while a quarter (24%) said they don’t know how to identify if an employee is struggling with their mental wellbeing.

“Unfortunately, businesses are too often unable to identify wellbeing issues, employees still feel like they can’t discuss them and there remains a lack of tangible support, all of which contribute to lost time and productivity for businesses as well as unaddressed poor employee wellbeing. The only way to tackle this is for businesses to prove to their employees that they genuinely care about their wellbeing, foster a culture of openness and provide the necessary internal and external support,” says CEO at Benenden Health, Bob Andrews.

Benenden Health is encouraging employers to talk with their employees and encourage them to speak about pressures they may be facing. The report ‘The elephant that never left the office: Why stigma is still preventing employees from telling their boss the truth about their mental wellbeing in the workplace,’ can be downloaded here here.