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As part of My Whole Self – the campaign for workplace culture change – MHFA England is encouraging employers to take action to build psychologically safe workplaces, where people feel able to speak up, ask for help, and perform at their best.
New research from MHFA England, published one month ahead of My Whole Self Day on Tuesday 10 March 2026, reveals that 45% of UK employees feel unable to raise mistakes or risks at work. This silence is not just damaging for individuals, but costly for organisations too – affecting productivity, quality, and the risk of preventable errors.
The research, conducted with 2,000 working adults across the UK, highlights the scale of the challenge:
These findings highlight the critical role psychological safety plays in workplace performance. When employees are fearful of judgement or consequences, innovation slows, mistakes go unchallenged, and wellbeing suffers. With one in seven employees (15%) already making more mistakes due to stress and fear, many organisations have an opportunity to strengthen performance and mental health.
Sarah McIntosh, Chief Executive of MHFA England and the Association of Mental Health First Aiders, said:
"When people don’t feel safe flagging a risk or asking a question, mistakes slip through, quality suffers, and the bottom line and wellbeing take a hit. In an era of rapid AI adoption, we can't afford employees who are too afraid to speak up when they spot errors - human judgment is our strength and safety net.
“The good news is that psychological safety can be built with the right tools and training to create the conditions that teams need to thrive."
To support organisations on this journey, MHFA England has launched the free My Whole Self Day 2026 toolkit. The toolkit provides practical, evidence-based guidance to help organisations of any size take meaningful steps towards more open, supportive workplace cultures. Changes don’t have to be radical or costly to make an impact. Small actions over time can make a huge difference.
The toolkit focuses on:
"Psychological safety strengthens employee productivity and mental health. We know most employers have the best intentions, but many don't know where to start," added McIntosh. "This free toolkit makes it easier. It translates the evidence into practical steps that organisations of any size can implement. From the conversations managers have, to the way meetings are run, small changes can make a significant difference to whether people feel safe to speak up."
Download your MWS Day tool kit
To mark the day, MHFA England will host a free webinar exploring how psychological safety supports communication, collaboration and productivity at work.
Now in its seventh year, My Whole Self has been adopted by more than 200 organisations, including Ford, the National Crime Agency and NHS Trusts, supporting workplaces to create cultures where people are safe to be themselves, speak up, and do their best work.