Marvin OnumonuSimplyhealth has launched a £3m partnership with the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health First Aid England and Mental Health Innovations.
This comes as figures show three million working days have already been lost to mental ill-health in 2026.
The CIPD and Simplyhealth Health and Wellbeing at Work Report found mental health was behind 41% of long-term absences and 29% of short-term absences.
The 2024/25 HSE Report recorded 22.1m sick days due to mental ill health.
Stress was reported as a top cause of short-term absence in 26% of organisations.
Most stress comes from heavy workloads, personal health issues and family or relationship problems.
64% of HR professionals said they had seen stress-related absence in their organisation last year, and 64% of organisations reported taking steps to identify or reduce workplace stress.
Only half of organisations think their efforts are effective.
40% of people not working said mental ill health was the cause, with 70% seeing it as a barrier to finding work.
Over three years, the new partnership aims to reach 600 UK businesses, fund 104 virtual Mental Health Aware workshops for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), train 2,600 employees, support 60,000 mental health text conversations and recruit 120 new volunteers for Shout’s text service.
Paul Schreier, CEO at Simplyhealth, said: “Through our partnerships, we’re using our profits in a meaningful and impactful way to improve access to mental health support for people across the UK.
“Workplace absence costs the economy billions each year; by offering mental health benefits to employees, businesses can prevent stress-related illness before it escalates.
“We are proud to be working with these three incredible organisations to drive real change, and support both employers, employees and the wider community.”
Schreier added: “The challenge is significant, but together we can address the mental ill health crisis and help more people get the support they need, when they need it.”
Mark Rowland, CEO of Mental Health Foundation, said: “We’re delighted to be one of Simplyhealth’s charity partners for this ambitious three‑year collaboration.
“The Mental Health Foundation’s vision is good mental health for all, and we are focused on tackling the root causes of poor mental health and preventing problems before they arise.
“This partnership gives us a powerful opportunity to drive meaningful change by helping more people protect their mental health at an earlier stage.”
Rowland added: “Healthy working lives, in particular, are essential to the wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities, and this partnership will help shine a light on the practical steps that can make a real difference.
“Together, we can empower more people to support their wellbeing and champion better mental health across the UK. We’re excited for what we can achieve together.”
Sarah McIntosh, CEO at Mental Health First Aid England, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Simplyhealth to provide workplace mental health training to SMEs.
“Since MHFA England was formed nearly 20 years ago, we have worked with over 20,000 organisations.
“Physical and mental health are intrinsically linked, and with most of us spending a third of our time at work, the workplace is a huge factor in our mental health.”
McIntosh added: “The training will improve understanding of mental health and challenge stigma so people can talk more freely about mental health, because everyone should be able to offer and seek support when it is needed.
“This initiative will ensure that more small organisations can create healthy workplaces where people and business thrive.”
Victoria Hornby, CEO of Mental Health Innovations, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Simplyhealth to provide crucial, 24/7 mental health support to people across the UK.
“Alongside the findings from Simplyhealth, our own research found that 78% of people have told us they were unemployed due to their mental health, so providing extra support and tackling workplace wellbeing has never been more important.
“This partnership will enable us to ensure that no one faces a crisis alone and that support is available for those who need it.”
