FREE workplace wellbeing learning programme for employers and HR professionals

Employee wellbeing is a huge topic for workplaces as employers navigate working life post-pandemic and straight into a cost of living crisis. While mental health is definitely spoken about more frequently now, we know that there are still barriers to people being open about how they’re feeling at work – namely stigma, and a fear of discrimination.

According to the ‘Scottish Mental Illness Stigma’ Study, published by See Me and the Mental Health Foundation in 2022, 71 per cent of people with severe, enduring and complex mental illnesses reported facing stigma and discrimination in their place of work in the last 12 months. Of those who identified it as an area having the biggest impact on them, 71 per cent reported being treated unfairly by employers, supervisors or managers, while half (52 per cent) admitted to feeling pressured to not speak about their mental health needs at work.

It’s estimated that, in Scotland alone, mental illness costs employers £2bn a year in sickness and recruitment costs. That’s a huge sum of money that could be avoided. We’re calling on employers to do more to support employees and create a culture where it’s okay to talk about your mental health, and where they know they’ll get support when you need it.

Education is key for employers and managers. It’s okay to not fully understand someone’s situation or experience, but it is never okay to stigmatise and discriminate as a result.

In the months ahead, See Me’s workplace team will be hosting a series of free-to-attend webinars and masterclasses for Scottish employers to shed some light on the importance of taking action to address mental health stigma and discrimination at work – and how to do it.

The sessions will showcase how taking action to tackle mental health stigma at work can benefit your business – by saving money, reducing absenteeism and presenteeism, and creating a better working environment for your staff. The sessions will cover a range of topics, including supporting conversations on work-related stress and how to get management buy-in when it comes to prioritising employee wellbeing.

For more information and to book your place at one of the FREE seminars: