This year, 6th February marks Time to Talk Day – a national initiative designed to encourage open conversations about mental health among friends, families, communities, and workplaces.
Mental health remains a top concern for HR professionals in 2025. Recent research by our sister company, WorkNest, found that 29% of HR professionals identified supporting employee wellbeing as a key priority for this year.
The latest statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) highlight both progress and ongoing challenges. While there has been a positive trend in reducing work-related ill health across Great Britain, 1.7 million workers still experienced work-related ill health in 2023/24, with stress, anxiety, and depression being the leading causes.
At esphr, we’ve seen an increasing number of cases where employees struggle with work-related stress, often exacerbated by their job. These challenges affect not only performance and attendance but also place a significant financial and administrative burden on employers.
The hidden impact of hybrid working
Hybrid working has brought undeniable benefits, but it also poses serious mental health risks. Employees working remotely can feel overlooked or isolated – a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’.
“Without regular face-to-face interactions, signs of stress or burnout can be harder to spot, and employees may feel hesitant to speak up when struggling. To mitigate this, employers need to be proactive, ensuring regular check-ins, open communication channels, and a culture where mental health support is visible, accessible, and normalised.”
2025 is a pivotal year for businesses to reassess their approach to employee wellbeing. This is not just about compliance – it’s about fulfilling the moral duty to create a mentally healthy workplace.
Time to Talk Day serves as an important reminder that mental health needs to be more than just a box-ticking exercise. Employers who take it seriously will see the benefits in both employee wellbeing and overall business success.
This means:
- Implementing clear policies and procedures (Mental Health and Wellbeing, Flexible Working, Absence and Sick Leave, Performance Management etc)
- Creating safe spaces for open conversations
- Training managers to recognise signs of mental health struggles
By taking a proactive approach, employers can help prevent stress from escalating into burnout – ensuring a healthier, more resilient workforce in the years ahead.
