The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has called on employers to give workers a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their mental health and translate feedback into practical workplace improvements.
The call comes ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October, which focuses on the theme “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change”.
Workplace mental health concerns
Health and Safety Executive statistics estimate that 964,000 workers experienced stress, depression or anxiety caused or worsened by work during 2024/2025.
Overall, 1.9 million workers experienced occupational ill health, while workplace injuries and ill health resulted in 40.1 million working days lost.
IOSH research also found that two in five professionals frequently experienced mental health challenges associated with work, while another 29% reported occasional difficulties.
Creating psychologically safe workplaces
Kelly Nicoll, Immediate Past President of IOSH, said: “We need to move beyond encouraging people to speak up and think much harder about what happens when they do. Psychological safety is demonstrated in the response, not in the campaign.
“The scale of work-related stress, depression and anxiety, and the millions of working days lost as a result, show that employers cannot treat this as a marginal wellbeing issue. They must identify and manage the aspects of work that can cause harm, while creating an environment in which people can ask for support without their capability or commitment being questioned.
“The real measure of a psychologically safe organisation is not how many people it persuades to speak. It is whether those who spoke would choose to do so again.
“It should never be left to an individual worker to carry the responsibility for fixing workplace mental health. Employers must listen to people, identify the root causes of harm and make prevention part of how the organisation operates every day.”
IOSH recommends confidential reporting channels and early worker involvement in decisions concerning mental health policies, organisational changes and risk controls.
Employers should focus on workplace factors rather than requiring employees to disclose personal medical information.
Managing psychosocial workplace risks
IOSH advises organisations to manage psychosocial hazards through structured risk assessment, control measures and ongoing review.
Potential hazards include excessive workloads, limited job control, inadequate support, poor working relationships and organisational change.
Employers should explain what actions will follow worker feedback and assess whether improvements have been effective.
IOSH provides guidance, training and resources to help organisations strengthen workplace mental health and wellbeing arrangements.
