According to a survey by Spill, employees take around 18 days off a year due to stress, depression, or anxiety.

In contrast, they’re absent for around 17 days because of physical ill-health.

For many years, businesses have focused on physical health when addressing employee well-being, but recently the importance of supporting mental health in the workplace has attracted some much-needed attention.

In 2025, poor mental health doesn’t just affect the individual but can have a significant impact on business operations.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll be outlining how to spot mental health issues in the workplace, providing employers with the knowledge to identify signs workers might be struggling and sensitive steps that can be taken.

 

Can you measure mental health in the workplace?

 

Keeping track of mental health isn’t as straightforward as tracking when employees are physically unwell, but you can take several steps to assess how your team are feeling.

A number of companies opt to use the Karasek questionnaire, also known as the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), which measures psychosocial factors and job strain.

The 26-item questionnaire is designed to assess mental health in the workplace in a general way and can be completed anonymously.

The results can help businesses understand the link between how work is experienced and the risks it poses to mental health.

Tracking sick leave is another way to keep an eye on the mental well-being of your employees, as a sudden unexplained increase may indicate underlying mental health struggles.

Regularly checking in with managers and HR is another way to gauge how teams of people are feeling to help uncover any behavioural changes that have been noticed.

If employees are displaying a lack of engagement with their work, it may indicate a deeper mental health issue.

Naturally, these methods won’t always provide a complete picture of how everyone is feeling in a workplace, but they can help to identify problems and subtly demonstrate how, as a business, the mental health of your team is a priority.

 

What is the impact of poor mental health on performance?

 

According to AXA, poor mental health in the workplace cost the UK economy £102 billion in 2023.

This includes £26 billion lost due to absenteeism, and £57.4 billion from reduced productivity caused by mental health issues such as stress, burnout, and emotional distress​.

It’s clear that declining mental health at work can have a ripple effect on both the individual and the business as a whole.

Mental health struggles often lead to difficulty staying focused, feeling less motivated, and consistently missing deadlines.

This can then have a domino effect where employees dealing with stress, anxiety or depression may make more mistakes and feel unable to seek support.

With more than a third (35 per cent) of workers feeling unable to discuss high-stress levels with managers, these problems tend to worsen, leading to employees leaving their roles altogether.

Ultimately, unresolved mental health issues can cost a company time and money through errors, absenteeism, and recruitment cycles.

 

How to tell if a job is affecting your mental health

 

It’s not uncommon for the everyday pressures of work to start affecting your mental health, but if you begin to notice the following signs, it’s crucial to seek support from external mental health professionals and speak to HR/management.

 

Ongoing stress

 

If work leaves you feeling persistently stressed and overwhelmed during and outside of work, it may be a sign that you are suffering from burnout.

 

Struggle sleeping

 

Stress, anxiety, and depression can all interfere with your sleep, leading to problems concentrating and functioning in the workplace.

 

In fact, some studies have shown that up to 53.1 per cent of young adults report engaging in bedtime procrastination as they feel they lack control and are struggling with their mental health during work hours.

 

Isolation

 

If you find yourself avoiding colleagues, having minimal interaction with people in the workplace and declining social work events, this could be an indication that your mental health is suffering.

 

Physical illness

 

Long-term mental health issues can often transition into physical health problems, including headaches, digestive problems and other issues triggered by chronic stress or anxiety.

 

How do you know if an employee is struggling mentally?

 

Employers need to look out for key signs that their employees are facing mental health challenges in the workplace and respond sensitively.

 

Some of the most common signs are:

 

• Changes in behaviour
• Mood swings
• Decline in their physical appearance
• Increased number of physical health issues
• Avoiding communicating or engaging with the team

 

Employers should always be actively working to create a workplace that values and encourages open communication and discussions about mental health so employees feel comfortable sharing their struggles.

 

Practical steps to support employee’s mental health

 

It’s clear that employers should now be taking proactive steps to support their employees with any mental health challenges they encounter by creating an open, supportive workplace with adequate resources.

 

Some of the ways you can help are as follows:

 

• Encouraging openness: Promoting awareness and encouraging your staff to talk openly about mental health helps to reduce the stigma. The more this message is conveyed, the more it will become a part of your company culture.
• Provide resources: Ensure that your staff are aware of the mental health resources available to them and, if possible, offer access to wellness initiatives such as gym memberships, counselling and wellness apps.
• Encourage a healthy work-life balance: Staff should be encouraged to work reasonable hours and avoid unnecessary overtime that can lead to burnout. You may also consider flexible working arrangements or hybrid working to allow employees more flexibility.

 

Taking steps such as these not only improves the overall well-being of employees but also creates the kind of workplace that people are happy and proud to be a part of.

 

To learn more about how to spot mental health issues in the workplace or for more on seeking legal advice, visit our Mental Illness at Work page for information.