Preventative support for mental health rated most helpful by employers – GRiD

Preventative support for mental health was seen as the most helpful by employers, according to research from GRiD.

The research found that 88% of employers offered preventative support to staff, focused on spotting and stopping health and wellbeing issues before they start.

Of those employers, 43% said preventative support for mental health was the most useful type for staff. 

This included things like employee assistance programmes (EAPs) and access to counselling for stress and mental health. 

Another 39% said physical health support was most helpful, such as initiatives to encourage better health habits to avoid illness. 

For financial and social health, both stood at 27%. 

Financial support included help with planning and debt consolidation, while social support covered social events and volunteering.

Almost all large companies with more than 250 staff offered some form of preventative support, at 97%. 

This dropped to 76% for micro-employers, with fewer than 10 staff. 

The gap was even wider for mental health, with 71% of large corporates offering support compared to just 38% of micro-employers.

The research found that nearly half (48%) of employees felt the lack of preventative support from the Government affected them and their colleagues.

GRiD said prevention was now the focus for many employers, the Government and the NHS, to tackle the UK’s long-term sickness absence problem. 

The report stated that employers still had a role to play, especially in mental health, where provision still lagged behind demand.

Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD, said: “There’s so much preventative support available for employers and employees via employee benefits and this is increasingly included within group risk benefits (employer-sponsored life assurance, income protection and critical illness). 

“Employers who help build mental resilience, champion a healthy lifestyle, and support their staff in health screening and medical assessments will see their absence levels reduced, and minimise presenteeism. 

“Furthermore, they will see reduced costs due to fewer claims.

“When prevention is embedded into the company culture it can have quite astounding results.”