Set the standard. Mandate the change.

Mental health affects every team, every boardroom, every business 

Yet support in the workplace remains inconsistent and too often reactive. That must change. Together, we can lead that change. 
 

Let’s transform the way the nation supports mental health at work 

Most adults spend at least a third of their time at work. The workplace is one of the most powerful drivers of change. By focusing here, we can shift how society manages mental health. 

MHFA England® is setting the standard for mental health first aid in the workplace. We are calling for MHFA to be mandated in every organisation, just like physical first aid. 

This is more than policy. It’s a movement for change. 
 

Why this matters now 

Long-term sickness, increasingly driven by mental ill health, is the single largest contributor to economic inactivity in the UK. 

• 53% of those economically inactive due to long-term sickness report depression, bad nerves, or anxiety1 

• Mental ill health costs UK employers £51 billion a year2 

• In 2025, 40% of workers considered leaving work due to mental health issues3 

This isn’t just a human, mental health or workplace crisis. It’s an economic emergency. Mental ill health is preventing thousands from being in, staying in or returning to work. Now is the time for national leadership. 

Why mental health first aid? 

Mental health first aid is the mental health equivalent of physical first aid. 

It gives people the skills and confidence to recognise the signs of mental ill health, start a conversation, and guide someone to the right support. It’s not a replacement for medical care, but it is a proven intervention that combines prevention, early intervention, and culture change. 

• 94% of MHFAiders® believe they’re challenging stigma around mental health4 

• 91% believe that MHFAiders save lives5 

• Organisation-wide early interventions, such as culture change and raising awareness of mental health issues, provide the highest return for employers, at £6.30 for every £1 spent6 

Mental health first aid is transforming individual wellbeing, workplace culture, and business performance. It should be a vital part of every employer’s approach to mental health. 

What MHFA England is doing 

We’re not waiting for change. We’re making it happen. 

We are: 

• Developing Mental Health First Aid standards: clear, evidence-based guidance for supporting employee mental health 

• Creating a workplace coalition of leaders and changemakers committed to transforming mental health at work 

• Mobilising our 87,000+ MHFAider community to lead change from the ground up 

This isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about embedding prevention, early intervention, and culture change in every workplace. 

Be part of the change 

We’re building a coalition of champions who won’t wait for change – they’ll lead it. 

• Add your voice to the public consultation on Workplace Mental Health First Aid Standards

Learn more about Workplace Mental Health First Aid Standards

• Join our Workplace coalition – a collective voice with the power to shift policy 
• Stand with us as we call on government to mandate MHFA in every workplace

Why? 

Because everyone’s mental health matters. 
Because workplaces shape lives and futures. 
Because employers that invest in mental health outperform the rest. 

Will you join us? 

This is our opportunity to reimagine workplaces, not as sources of stress and burnout, but as engines of wellbeing, productivity, and growth. 

To make MHFA in the workplace a legal requirement and to make mentally healthy workplaces the norm, not the exception, we need every voice, every story, every champion. 

To let us know how you would like to support the campaign, fill in this form https://forms.office.com/e/EzTj4uwPdt and we will be in touch with more information.  

Sources:
[1] ONS, Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023. Available from: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/economicinactivity/articles/risingillhealthandeconomicinactivitybecauseoflongtermsicknessuk/2019to2023#:~:text=In%202023%2C%20the%20most%20prevalent,as%20a%20main%20health%20condition.
[2] Deloitte, Mental health and employers: The case for employers to invest in supporting working parents and a mentally healthy workplace, May 2024. Available from: https://www.deloitte.com/uk/en/services/consulting/research/mental-health-and-employers-the-case-for-employers-to-invest-in-supporting-working-parents-and-a-mentally-health-workplace.html 
[3] PWC, Retaining talent and skills in the workforce. Turning the tide on economic inactivity, March 2025. Available at: https://www.pwc.co.uk/services/economics/insights/economic-inactivity-report.html 
[4] Mental Health First Aid England, MHFAider Insight survey, June 2024. Available at: https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/news/MHFA-England-launches-the-first-membership-body-for-Mental-Health-First-Aiders/
[5] Mental Health First Aid England, MHFAider Insight survey, June 2024. Available at: https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/news/MHFA-England-launches-the-first-membership-body-for-Mental-Health-First-Aiders/
[6] Deloitte, Mental health and employers: The case for employers to invest in supporting working parents and a mentally healthy workplace, May 2024. Available from: https://www.deloitte.com/uk/en/services/consulting/research/mental-health-and-employers-the-case-for-employers-to-invest-in-supporting-working-parents-and-a-mentally-health-workplace.html