Hello PPMA members and friends
As HR and OD professionals, we know how important it is to keep the conversation about mental health going — not just on one day, but throughout the year. World Mental Health Day on 10 October is always a great reminder to pause and think about how we can all do more to support wellbeing at work. Our partners at CIPD HR-inform have written a great piece exploring how employers can use this moment to reflect on their approach to mental health and take practical steps to make a real difference in their workplaces.
Employee mental health is an area that has had increasing interest over recent years and for good reason — it was the leading cause of long-term absence according to the CIPD’s Health and Wellbeing at Work survey report, published in September 2025. The report highlights how employers need to act on employee mental health now more than ever to avoid losing staff to the impact of poor mental health.
Employers should consider building an organisational culture that protects and promotes good mental health. This starts with the basics, such as having an employee mental health policy which sets out the organisation’s commitment to employee mental health and what is available to employees if they feel their mental health is suffering. This should include the responsibilities of line managers in relation to the support of employee mental health. Employers could also consider implementing an Employee Assistance Programme that can provide external support and counselling for employees struggling with their mental health, or if that is not an option, researching external providers of support, such as charities or councillors they can signpost employees to access in their own time.
It can also include mental health training. Training managers or other employees to spot common signs and symptoms of mental health issues and emotional distress can help to identify those who might be struggling and work with them to help. Employers can also help by sharing information on the support available to employees and by working with them to identify any workplace causes of poor mental health and what can be done to relieve them. This ensures early intervention and quick access to professional resources, such as counselling and coping strategies.
Encouraging staff to be open about mental health is also important. This could be via employee forums, team meetings, or special events such as lunchtime talks on mental health. Sharing experiences and information on mental wellbeing and the importance of good mental health can increase understanding of mental health conditions and their symptoms and counteract any negative stigma associated with it. In turn, this can encourage employees to be more understanding and tolerant of the impact poor mental health can have on their colleagues.
Promoting workplace mental health initiatives is crucial if they’re going to have a positive impact. Whilst supporting employee mental health is a never-ending endeavour and not just something to pay lip service to on awareness days, they are a good opportunity to promote what the workplace has on offer for employee mental health and how it can be accessed. It can also encourage employees to come forward of their own accord should they feel the need to access such support.
Finally, making sure employees know how to report incidents that can be harmful to their mental health, such as bullying, harassment or sexual harassment, is also important. Employees need to have confidence that they can report incidents of concern and that they will be dealt with. If they don’t, this can be detrimental to their mental health and make other efforts to support it less effective.
All PPMA members get free membership for the CIPD HR-inform Lite platform so if you’re looking for broader HR support? Register to the CIPD HR-inform Lite platform portal for more quick facts, employment guidance, and HR information both online and straight into your inbox.
