Mental ill-health is a growing societal problem which can affect an individual’s performance and interactions in every area of their lives including the workplace. One in four of us are expected to experience a mental health difficulty at some point in our lives and the World Health Organisation estimates that by 2020 depression will be the second greatest cause of disability in the world. There is no method of predicting which individuals will experience mental ill-health that interferes with their work. Regardless of the causes of increased mental ill-health it is likely that organisations and their members will have to deal with the symptoms and implications both in themselves and their colleagues. Clearly employers should take a positive and proactive approach to the prevention and management of mental ill-health at work.

Dealing with a mental health difficulty can be a challenging period of time for employee and employer alike. Employee's can be helped immensely through the support and assistance of their employer. Often there is concern from employers regarding what is and is not okay to talk to their employee about regarding their mental health, how best to support them to wellbeing and how to help them re-integrate back into the workplace following any leave period.

The Equality Authority has produced two leaflets on equality and mental health as part of the EA's work with See Change which are being launched next month. Following discussion with a number of organisations they identified the need to highlight the relevance of the equality legislation in relation to mental health. IBEC in conjunction with Seechange are developing a Line Manager's Guide to Mental Health in the Workplace. It is hoped that this guide will touch upon a number of these key issues and assist employers, and in particular line managers, who play a crucial role in this process, to make this a positive experience for all.