A quarter of small business owners in the UK do not feel confident they would be able to recognise and address ill health, stress or depression among their staff, research finds.

A quarter of small business owners in the UK do not feel confident they would be able to recognise and address ill health, stress or depression among their staff, research finds.

It is estimated that mental health problems such as stress cost the UK economy £26 billion a year in absence, presenteeism and staff turnover. In a small business environment, absence can create additional stress for those employees left picking up the additional workload, according to private health company Bupa.  

Two in five (41 per cent) small business owners admit they never speak to employees about their physical or mental health, with 24 per cent confessing they would rather not speak to anyone about a problem raised by an employee than seek professional advice on how to deal with it.

An invasion of privacy is the most commonly cited reason for not addressing staff health anxieties. One in three managers (30 per cent) believe it is ‘none of their business’ to get involved in the situation. Despite this, absence due to work-related stress remains a problem for UK business, with 10.8 million working days lost in 2010/11, according to figures from independent health watchdog HSE.  

More than half (55 per cent) state they regularly discuss the weather with an employee but only one in four (27 per cent) would discuss an employee’s health, sparking concern that employers do not feel well-equipped to tackle these trickier, personal conversations.  

Dr Jenny Leeser, clinical director of occupational health at Bupa, says, ‘If health issues such as stress are not addressed, employees suffering in silence can lead to small issues becoming bigger problems in the long term and ultimately affecting productivity.

‘Nobody expects bosses to solve all of a person’s issues but there may be adjustments that really help, such as altering hours on a temporary basis.’

See also: Staff stand for serious health problems