GFTU BGCM 2019 Minutes

of over 5 million workers suffering from a mental health condition, but due to

stigma, a lack of knowledge, training and support how to help support friends

and colleagues in the workplace, those millions of workers are left to deal with

their mental health issues alone and in silence.

The total number of working days lost due to work related stress, anxiety and

depression reached 9.9 million days and in many cases the days lost become

the end of their employment. In fact, as many as 300,000 people with a long

term mental health condition leave employment every year, that 300,000

people leaving their income, stability and colleagues behind. Conference, to

put this in perspective, that is more than the whole population of Newcastle, but

this extends beyond our workplaces, because it starts in our schools, homes

and communities and for some before the age of 15. Around one in ten

children and young people are affected by mental health problems and 70% of

those young people fail to get the help they desperately need. That means we

are seeing the majority of the young people entering the workforce without the

help, support and stability they require to start a meaningful career for their

futures.

Conference, good mental health needs to be a priority for everyone’s

workplace. This means employers knowing they have a duty to help when their

workers are struggling with mental health. It means colleagues knowing to help

to spot the signs and look out for each. It means transforming the way we

understand mental health in the workplace, because good work is good for

mental health, good mental health is good for our workers and their families,

our economy and our society.

Government funding for mental health just scratches the surface when looking

at the scale of the problem. Waiting times can be as long as a year, over two

years for specialist support and employers are not equipped or trained to

develop mental health awareness and support their employees. What we need

is less empty words and more action. We need better mental health provisions,

training in the workplace and across the UK and we really need to start tackling

the stigma around mental health in the workplace.

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