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'Stress, depression and anxiety amongst employees can adversely affect business performance'

SMEs leaders should end the culture of silence surrounding mental health and create a workplace environment where employees with mental health issues can speak out without fear of damaging their careers, says Patrick Watt, corporate director at private health firm Bupa.

He said: "We are calling on all businesses to create an environment where people feel able to speak up without fear of discrimination or consequence and say they are not coping. Leaders of businesses have a responsibility to create a business that will listen and help."

According to the mental health charity Mind, one in six workers are affected by mental health problems. That means that in an organisation of ten people there may well be one and possibly two people who are affected by a mental health issue.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/festival-of-business/10612512/Soapbox-SMEs-must-smash-the-wall-of-silence-around-mental-health-says-Patrick-Watt.html

Managers too stressed to notice junior staff struggle

"As a result of being too stressed, managers are struggling to support junior colleagues with their own stress-related problems. Three in ten (29%) of those surveyed admit they do not have enough time to deal with team members’ stress, and one in four (25%) say that they feel too stressed to address these issues within their team."

1. Workload (22%)
2. Trying to meet targets (11%)
3. Office politics (10%)
4. Restructuring/lack of job security (9%)
5. Client/customers (7%)

http://www.bupa.com/media-centre/press-releases/uk/22-nov-2013-managers-too-stressed-to-notice-junior-staff-struggle/