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London, 10 October 2025 — World Mental Health Day
We are delighted to announce the launch of a public consultation on our draft Workplace Mental Health First Aid Standards. The standards set out, for the first time, clear, evidence-based guidance on best practice in embedding Mental Health First Aid in the workplace.
Poor mental health is now the leading cause of long-term sickness in the UK, contributing to record levels of economic inactivity. More than half of people out of work due to long-term sickness report depression, anxiety, or related conditions (1).
The cost to UK employers of poor mental health is estimated at £51 billion a year. Yet, evidence shows that 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 (2).
This creation of the standards supports the government’s focus on helping people stay in and return to work. The Keep Britain Working review, due to be published this autumn, will set out how mental health support at work is central to tackling economic inactivity. These standards are a practical way of delivering that ambition. If implemented, they will help people thrive at work, boost productivity, and reduce the cost of poor mental health to our economy.
To develop the standards MHFA England has drawn on its experience and engaged with thousands of MHFAiders, MHFA Instructors, workplaces, and stakeholders. This has included representatives from the Federation of Small Businesses, Institute of Directors, Royal College of Nursing, Business in the Community, Social Enterprise UK, and the Association of Colleges.
Our Chief Executive, Sarah McIntosh, said:
“Most of us spend a third of our lives at work, yet support for mental health in workplaces remains inconsistent and too often reactive.
Over the last 18 years, we have seen time and again how Mental Health First Aid saves lives and reduces stigma. For it to be truly effective, workplaces must fully embed it and take a whole-organisation approach.
Workplaces have the power to transform the nation’s mental health. These standards are about setting a new benchmark. Not box-ticking, but embedding prevention, early intervention, and culture change into every workplace.
Getting feedback via the consultation is vital to the future of workplace mental health. Together, we can make create workplaces where people, communities, and business thrive.”
The consultation, which will run for two months, invites feedback from employers, employees, MHFAiders®, MHFA Instructors, policymakers, membership bodies, trade unions, and mental health organisations.
The proposed standards include clear expectations on:
Governance and strategic commitments
MHFAider recruitment, representation, and role clarity
Training and competency
Infrastructure and operational support
Support, debrief, and wellbeing of MHFAiders
Reporting, evaluation, and continuous improvement
MHFAider visibility and culture building
Wider workplace mental health support
Considerations for customers and suppliers
The consultation is part of our Set the standard: Mandate the change campaign. We are calling for Mental Health First Aid to be mandated in all workplaces, alongside physical first aid, within the parameters set out in the new standards.
Learn more about Set the standard: Mandate the change
The consultation will run until Wednesday 10 December 2025. Responses are invited via an online form. You can find out more and read the full standards here.
The final Workplace Mental Health First Aid Standards will be published next year.
Sources
ONS, July 2023: Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023
Deloitte, May 2024: Mental health and employers. The case for employers to invest in supporting working parents and a mentally healthy workplace