According to a recent study by experts at the University of Nottingham, mental health training for line managers is strongly associated with enhanced business performance. Reducing sick days due to mental health issues could save companies millions of pounds annually. The findings of this research have been published in PLOS ONE and indicate a robust link between mental health training for line managers and several positive business outcomes, such as better staff recruitment and retention, improved customer service, and decreased long-term mental health-related absences.

Professor Holly Blake conducted the research from the School of Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham, and Dr Juliet Hassard from Queen’s University Belfast. Professor Blake highlighted the significant costs associated with mental ill-health in the workplace, including sickness absence and reduced productivity. She noted that this study is pioneering in demonstrating that mental health training for line managers correlates with improved business results, thereby reinforcing the economic argument for companies to invest in workplace mental health initiatives.

In the UK, one in six workers faces mental health challenges, contributing to 12.7% of all sick days. The financial impact of poor mental health on British employers is estimated to exceed £50 billion each year. The training aimed at line managers is designed to equip them with the necessary skills to effectively support their employees’ mental health. Although ongoing research continues to assess whether such training enhances managers’ knowledge, skills, and confidence in helping their teams, previous studies have not extensively explored its potential economic benefits for organisations.

The research team analysed anonymised survey data from several thousand companies across England, gathered from 2020 to 2023 by the Enterprise Research Centre at Warwick Business School. This analysis forms part of a broader research initiative focusing on workplace mental health and productivity. The survey included various questions about the companies’ practices related to mental health and well-being, such as providing mental health training for line managers. The researchers controlled statistically for factors like the companies’ age, sector, and size to ensure the accuracy of their findings.

The results underscore the strategic business value of mental health training for line managers. Based on these outcomes, the researchers advocate for organisations to offer such training and develop clear workplace policies that delineate the role of line managers in supporting employee mental health.

Furthermore, the researchers call for additional studies to explore various methods of delivering mental health training to line managers. Dr Juliet Hassard, co-author of the study and a member of Queen’s Business School at Queen’s University Belfast, expressed that while it can be challenging to persuade employers to invest in employee mental health, demonstrating that such investment is linked to positive business results could help highlight the strategic importance of this approach to employers.

More information: Juliet Hassard et al, The relationship between line manager training in mental health and organisational outcomes, PLoS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306065

Journal information: PLoS ONE Provided by University of Nottingham