21/11/2025
"Yeah, we have a first aider because it's the law" - most employers
What about mental health?
If you look at the H&S 'bible' - the Health and Safety at Work Act etc 1974 - it states something along the lines of:
"Employers must look after the health, safety, and welfare of their employees" (it's not a quote, so don't come at me, bro)
Isn't mental health part of that?
1. What are YOU doing as an employer?
2. If you're an employee, do you know who to speak to or where to go if you're feeling down, depressed, anxious, or thinking about ending it all and you need to talk to someone?
If you can't answer those questions thoroughly, then you need to make a change.
No, isn't law (yet) to have mental health first aiders in the workplace, but even the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981/2 were updated in early 2024 to reflect mental health in the workplace, so as an employer you really *should* be looking after your staff more.
You can complete courses online or face to face from a few hours to two full days, but I'd recommend everyone with a supervisory role do at least an awareness course.
You may just notice something and save a life (and, as an employer, money, because that's the reason you're not paying for mental health first aiders, isn't it 👀)
Look after your staff and they'll look after you.
Source:https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/assets/docs/stress.pdf
