New mental illness guide for employers available

Employers can now use a new, online Line Managers' Resource to help them manage and support employees with mental health problems.

The resource, from Department of Health initiative Shift, gives advice and guidance on the law governing employee mental wellbeing, how managers can recognise the most common types of mental illness, such as depression and anxiety, and the types of counselling available. There is also a checklist to help manage mental health issues at work, including:

• policies and procedures
• using normal management processes
• risk assessment
• monitoring
• sickness absence/return to work
• managing people with an ongoing problem
• knowledge of mental health
• support for employees.

The government says that one in four employees will experience a mental health condition, which is the cause of about 13 million sick days each year.

Operative date: Immediate

More information: Visit the Line Managers' Resource at the Shift website