Stress and other mental health issues represent a very real problem within the workplace, accounting for forty percent of work absences.  At any time, around one worker in six will be experiencing depression, anxiety or another stress-related difficulty. The cost of reduced productivity amongst those who turn up at work despite being unwell (presenteeism) is greater still and may be more prevalent amongst higher paid staff.

The cost to employers of staff mental health problems is massive; estimated at nearly £26 billion in the UK each year, broken down as:

• Sick leave £8.4 billion a year.

• Reduced or impaired productivity £15.1 billion a year.

• Replacement of staff who leave because of mental ill health £2.4 billon a year

Nevertheless, the identification of these high rates of stress-related issues is low. A report from the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (SCMH) highlights a recent survey of senior managers, in which nearly half thought that none of their workers would ever suffer from a mental health problem during their working life and over two-thirds put the rate at less than 1 in 20.

The hidden iceberg of stress suggests many individuals experiencing stress in the workplace may go unrecognised. Only a small minority of those suffering from emotional problems are likely to be actively seeking or receiving any kind of treatment for their condition. This widespread under-recognition and under- treatment has a huge impact upon the performance of many individuals in the workplace.

Effective training in resilience skills before stress becomes a major problem or significant illness in staff members is an essential strategy for modern businesses to support and develop their teams, which could prevent many of these more serious problems developing.

Resilience is a business necessity in the current difficult financial climate where the pressures faced by organisations and individuals are particularly challenging. Now more than ever, organisations need staff to develop skills in emotional resilience which enable them to achieve peak performance in such a pressured environment.