Supporting the mental health of staff is at the forefront of many employers' agendas – especially given that research continues to demonstrate that employee stress levels are rising in line with the pressures of the twenty-first century workplace. There are lots of ways to support mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. One option chosen by some employers is to provide the opportunity to take "mental health days" as time off work to rest, relax and recover. There are, of course, benefits of providing mental health days to support employees' mental wellbeing. However, in this article, we also consider the risks which providing such leave may create and provide some tips for employers who are looking to implement policies to permit the taking of mental health days or leave.

Definition of a Mental Health Day

A mental health day is when an employee is permitted to take time off from work to look after their mental health and wellbeing. A mental health day can take many forms. An employee could choose to simply relax in bed, spend time with friends or family, or participate in an activity they enjoy which enhances their mental wellbeing. Mental health days are usually offered in addition to holiday entitlement, and are not treated as sick leave. 

The concept of such days has developed in recent years due to the growing awareness of the need to support employees' mental wellbeing in addition to their physical wellbeing. The aim is for an employee to feel refreshed upon their return to work following their mental health day and so reduce the risk of longer term problems and absences.

The Benefits

The World Health Organisation estimates that 12 billion working days are lost every year due to mental health conditions. If employees feel comfortable and able to take mental health days before reaching breaking point, this can decrease long-term sick leave caused by severe burnouts or untreated mental health conditions. Offering this type of leave is also likely to enhance employee morale. By demonstrating that they care about their employees' mental wellbeing in this way, employers can improve job satisfaction, and loyalty amongst staff members. Having the ability to take a mental health day can ultimately increase productivity when an employee returns to work, one of the main benefits of offering such days.

The Potential Downfalls

One of the risks which offering mental health days poses is that employers may be perceived as providing a temporary sticking plaster to enable an employee to avoid dealing with underlying issues, for a period of time. An employee's mental wellbeing may never improve if they are provided with the opportunity to stay in bed and potentially not face into the concern which is causing the anxiety. 

Unfortunately, there is also the risk that some employees may misuse the option to take this leave. It is difficult for employers to monitor or otherwise ensure such leave is being used for the purpose intended. It is also important to consider that there can be significant cost implications for employers who offer mental health days as additional paid leave to all staff, in addition to the potential disruption to business operations and other team members when leave is taken unexpectedly.

Despite the growing societal recognition of the importance of prioritising mental health, there is still some hesitancy around taking mental health days in many workplaces, and employees may fear being judged or disadvantaged if utilise it. 

Employers play a crucial role in cultivating an environment where employees feel comfortable taking care of their mental wellbeing without fear of repercussions or shame. This includes enabling open conversation about mental health issues and offering support and guidance to employees. Implementing mental health days in workplaces where there is hesitancy around taking this leave, may cause more harm than help to employees' mental health.

Whether or not an employer offers mental health days to its employees, it is imperative that it has processes in place to assist in recognising signs of stress/burnout rather than relying solely on the use of mental health days or other wellbeing benefits. Just as an employer has a health and safety duty to ensure there are no physical risks in their workplace that could result in someone falling and causing injury, they have a similar duty to ensure that their culture and working arrangements do not expose employees to mental harm. Without addressing the root cause of the employee's stress or mental illness being exacerbated by work, whether it is unrealistic workload, lack of support or toxic workplace culture, the same issues will likely resurface.

Top Tips for Employers

If employers are looking to implement policies to introduce or encourage the taking of mental health days, we recommend implementing these by:

• Developing clear guidelines around how often and under what circumstances employees can take such days.
• Creating a positive workplace environment that encourages conversations around mental wellbeing.
• Implementing training sessions focused on improving awareness about common mental health conditions.
• Encouraging regular breaks throughout the day to ensure that workers don't feel overwhelmed by constant pressure.
• Offering additional support and resources to employees to manage their wellbeing generally to prevent over-reliance on mental health days without addressing the underlying issues.

By itself, mental health leave is very unlikely to solve all employees' mental health concerns or reduce the problems faced by employers as a result of long term absences caused by poor mental health. However, they can have a place in a wider mental health strategy.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to our Employment team if you require any further information or guidance on implementing policies or strategies to support the mental health of your employees or for further guidance and advice.