A quarter of SMEs unsure whether employees would discuss mental health issues, global survey by Peninsula Group finds

MANCHESTER, England, July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from Peninsula Group shows the impact that mental health is having on small and medium-sized businesses around the world.

The global HR, employment law and health & safety consultancy surveyed 79,000 businesses across Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK, revealing the strain that both leaders and employees are feeling.

Alan Price, Chief Operations Officer at Peninsula Group, says, "Employers have a duty of care to safeguard the wellbeing of their people. However, the pressures that employers themselves feel can often be overlooked. 1 in 7 UK employers surveyed reported experiencing poor mental health over the last year. And when they're struggling, who do they turn to?

"Interestingly, while 69% of employers surveyed have an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) in place, only 5% of those who experienced mental ill-health over the last 12 months sought support from it. 23% spoke to friends and family and 14% spoke to their GP.

"It's certainly encouraging to see an overall decline in mental health-related absences in our survey results; however, an overwhelming majority of respondents (76%) say they are not fully confident that their employees would disclose mental health concerns. That's a huge figure, and it's clear that more still needs to be done by employers to help bring this number down.

"Whilst the onus isn't solely on the employer, this tells us that mental health stigma is still very much present in the workplace, and more work still needs to be done to reduce it.

"It's clear that progress is being made - many employers are taking steps to support staff, but our data shows there is still plenty of opportunity to expand that support further. Even small changes, like basic training for managers, can make a big difference."

Key findings include:

• 1 in 3 employers globally saw increased sickness absence due to mental health over the last 12 months
• Canada and Ireland have seen the lowest increased rates of absences related to mental health; Australia saw the largest increase
• Irish and Canadian employers are the least confident that employees would discuss mental health issues with them – 1 in 3 employers in each country said they were either 'unsure' or 'not confident'.
• The UK is leading the way when it comes to mental health support in the workplace
• Employers in New Zealand are most likely, with UK and Irish employers least likely, to take time off due to mental ill health
• Employees in Canada are least likely to speak up if they are struggling with their mental health
• 78% of employers do not feel very confident that employees would disclose a mental health condition
• Only 20% of employers globally offer mental health days in addition to annual leave
• 1 in 7 UK SME owners and managers have experienced mental health issues in the last 12 months
• 1 in 5 UK workplaces have a mental health first aider in place, compared with 1 in 8 globally
• Around 1 in 10 workplaces globally plan to introduce mental health first aiders within the next 12 months

Mental health days

Our data found that Canadian employers are most likely to offer mental health days in addition to personal leave entitlement. In comparison, 85% of employers in the UK, 83% in Ireland, 73% in New Zealand and 72% in Australia do not offer mental health days or plan to introduce them in the next 12 months.

One employer commented "I do not intend to offer additional leave for 'mental health days' – that would increase the strain on the remaining employees as well as increase costs we can't recover."

The stigma around mental health remains

Some employees surveyed expressed strong feelings towards mental health issues, some of which continue to perpetuate the stigma around mental health.

Comments such as "Mental health has become a bit of an excuse......... Of course, there are genuine cases - but there seem to be an awful lot of people jumping on a bandwagon......" and "Obsessing over mental health creates insecurity, fearfulness and is also emasculating", show there is still work to be done when it comes to employers having fundamental education around mental health and the ways in which work, and workplace culture, can cause or worsen issues for their people.

Where is the disconnect?

Bertrand Stern-Gillet, CEO at HA Wisdom Wellbeing - part of the Peninsula Group, says, "Globally, over half of the leaders surveyed (55%) noticed more open discussions about mental health at work over the last 12 months.  48% have observed employees, as well as themselves, prioritising work-life balance.

"This begs the question, why are so many leaders not confident their employees would disclose if they were struggling with a mental health issue? If conversations are more open, and work-life balance is on the rise, then where is the disconnect?

"Are the measures being put in place by employers to help manage mental health in the workplace actually being embedded into workplaces or just a tick box exercise?

"Worryingly, our data also shows that 51% of respondents have no plans to introduce support measures such as mental health training, EAPs, or mental health first aiders to their workplace in the next twelve months. It remains to be seen what impact this will have."

Notes to editor

Download the full whitepaper HERE

Alan Price, COO at Peninsula Group Global, and Bertrand Stern-Gillet, CEO at HA Wisdom Wellbeing, are available for interview.

Method of survey
The survey was conducted from 12-23 May 2025 across Peninsula Group's global client base.

About Peninsula Group

Across the globe, Peninsula Group supports employers through their toughest workplace challenges. Each day, small business owners face hurdles of all different sizes. From HR to health & safety, technology to tax advice, the Peninsula Group companies have got you covered, providing familiar reassurance, expert knowledge, and practical solutions to keep you compliant. It's how more than 135,000 employers around the world reduce their legal risk and free up more time for their business.

www.peninsulagroupglobal.com