Fewer than three in ten organisations (29%) train their people managers to support employee mental wellbeing, according to a new report.
The findings come from the CIPD’s Health and Wellbeing at Work Report 2025, supported by Simplyhealth. CIPD said they highlight an urgent need for organisations to equip people managers with the skills and knowledge to help identify possible issues and support workers’ mental wellbeing.
The survey of more than 1,100 employers also revealed that UK employees were off sick for nearly two full working weeks (9.4 days) on average in the last 12 months. This marks a significant jump compared to pre-pandemic levels (5.8 days), and 7.8 days in 2023 when the survey was last carried out.
In response, the CIPD is urging employers to take a proactive approach to ensuring that jobs don’t contribute to poor health and upskill managers to better support the health and wellbeing of employees.
Rachel Suff, Senior Policy & Practice Adviser at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, said:
“Too many line managers don’t receive any training on mental health and how to effectively support employee wellbeing – so they often lack the skills and knowledge to identify any issues and support staff properly.
“With the right training – which should cover how to have sensitive conversations with staff – managers will be far better placed to prevent problems from escalating and to put supportive measures in place. This could include signposting staff to internal health benefits or making practical adjustments, such as offering flexible hours or reducing excessive workloads.”
The RSPCA – the largest animal welfare charity in the UK – decided to step up investment in employee mental health after discovering that 40% of its occupational health referrals were related to mental wellbeing. The impact has been significant, strengthening the organisation’s culture and reducing staff turnover.
Jeremy Gautrey-Jones, Assistant Director Employee Experience at the RSPCA, said:
“The work of our front line teams can be traumatic and may impact their mental health, so we partnered with the charity Mind to deliver bespoke mental health training programmes – including Trauma Risk Management – to help our people managers look after their own wellbeing, as well as recognise and support the mental health of their teams.
“We also introduced psychological screening which aims to ensure our peoples mental health is good. Where concerns are flagged through the screening process, we can provide immediate support to our colleagues.
“Managers are often the first line of support when someone is struggling, and by equipping them with the right tools and information, we’re not only helping individuals feel supported but also building a workplace culture where people feel safe to speak up – knowing their wellbeing is truly valued.
“We recognise that in wider society that mental health challenges can impact on how people care for their animals too, so we have trained our front-line inspectors who visit people's houses to ensure they can identify mental health conditions in pet owners. Supporting the owner supports the welfare of the animal.”
Rachel Suff of the CIPD said:
“Supporting employee mental health isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s essential to maintaining a happy, healthy and engaged workforce.
“Employers that invest in training managers to support staff with mental ill health will see a measurable impact. Our survey shows that 63% of organisations that provide mental health training for managers say that managers are confident spotting the signs of mental ill health, compared with 45% of organisations that don’t offer training.”
