As workplace mental health continues to be a major issue, organisations are increasingly looking for ways to support employee wellbeing. One of the leading voices in this space is Sarah McIntosh, chief executive of social enterprise Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England. With a career spanning financial services, HR and social enterprise, McIntosh has long been an advocate for inclusive workplace cultures and employee wellbeing.
In a two-part interview with Workplace Wellbeing Professional, McIntosh discusses the rising prevalence of mental health challenges among UK employees, the impact of returning to physical workplaces and the role of psychological safety in boosting engagement and productivity. She also shares insights from MHFA England’s research with Henley Business School and highlights the importance of a My Whole Self campaign in driving cultural change.
Part One of our conversation covers the key factors driving workplace mental health issues, the challenges of returning to office environments and how employers can create spaces where employees feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work.
Reports indicate a rise in mental health issues among UK employees, and it’s contributing to increased economic inactivity. From your perspective, what are the primary factors driving it?
Mental health is something we all have, and at any time, any one of us can experience poor mental health. In fact, one in four people will experience mental ill health at some point in their lives. The UK is currently facing a significant rise in mental ill health among employees, contributing to increased economic inactivity. To address this challenge, we need to examine what’s driving this.
Many factors influence whether someone will experience mental ill health, and some individuals are at higher risk due to their identity or lived experience. Our MHFA training course highlights some of these, including:
- Workplace-related – high workload, job insecurity, lack of autonomy, poor leadership and workplace discrimination.
- Financial stress and poverty – cost-of-living pressures, job loss or low wages increasing stress and anxiety.
- Childhood adversity and trauma – adverse childhood experiences increase the risk of mental health issues later in life.
- Social isolation and loneliness – lack of support networks can exacerbate mental ill health.
- Physical health conditions and disability – poor physical health can negatively impact mental wellbeing.
- Life transitions – significant life changes, such as bereavement, relationship breakdown or becoming a caregiver, can contribute to stress and poor mental health.
When people are discriminated against because of their identity, it can also become a factor. Whilst someone’s ethnicity, gender or gender identity, sexuality or disability isn’t a direct cause of poor mental health, these people may be disproportionately affected by social and economic factors that can increase the risk of mental ill-health.
Protective factors, such as strong support networks, financial stability and access to healthcare, can vary over time, leaving some individuals more vulnerable to mental ill health at different points in their lives.
Many people experiencing mental ill health want to work but are often trapped in a system that doesn’t provide the right support to do so. We must ensure that employers are ready, able and willing to support them.
Over one million people are currently on NHS mental health waiting lists, creating a major barrier to treatment and recovery. This leaves many unable to work and unable to access the support they need to return. When employer sick pay runs out, individuals often have no choice but to leave employment and enter the benefits system, worsening economic inactivity.
Perhaps most worrying of all, we’re seeing a huge rise in poor mental health in young people. According to the Mental Health Foundation, half of all mental health issues begin by age 14, and three-quarters by age 24. Poor youth mental health can impact education, employment prospects and long-term wellbeing. Without early intervention and support, young people entering the workforce may already be struggling, increasing the likelihood of economic inactivity.
As organisations encourage employees to return to physical workplaces, what mental health challenges have emerged, and how can employers address them effectively?
Since the beginning of 2025, we’ve seen many organisations, in the UK and internationally, announcing the end of their flexible working policies, most recently, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. These are two of many. For some, the return to in-person work will enhance opportunities for face-to-face collaboration and interpersonal connection. This may help people to find a renewed sense of community and shared purpose, which can positively impact productivity, job satisfaction and wellbeing.
For others, returning to the office could bring stress or feelings of anxiety and destabilise carefully balanced work/home commitments, increasing costs and reducing productivity. This could lead to increased stress and decreased engagement.
We also know this is likely to influence some people more than others. For example, women with caring responsibilities, disabled people, neurodiverse people and those living with mental health conditions. Employers must be cautious of these unintended consequences, and we must all be wary of more people falling out of the workforce. A one-size-fits-all approach rarely works.
Leaders must find the balance between bringing employees together in the workplace and maintaining the flexibility that has proven beneficial to many. Hybrid working models can be effective when managed correctly and support both wellbeing and engagement. For example, ensuring that employees come to the office on the same days to maximise the benefits of in-person collaboration.
We want organisations to empower employees to bring their whole self to work. That includes background, sexuality, religion, gender, health and mental health.
MHFA England’s recent report with Henley Business School explores psychological safety. How does creating such an environment influence employee engagement and overall wellbeing?
Our research with Henley Business Schools shows that only half of the number of people who think it’s important to bring your whole self to work feel able to do so. Eighty-two percent think it’s important people are able to bring their whole self to work, but only 41% of people feel they can do so, and only 31% felt their colleagues could do so in practice.
This is particularly true for those with protected characteristics: 54% of Black people say not being able to bring your whole self to work impacts productivity and 51% of gay or lesbian people say it impacts their mental health. Only 1 in 4 (25%) people with mental ill health felt they could bring their whole self to work. These new statistics show that it’s crucial to understand your people and what helps them to keep well and perform at their best. You need to engage in discussions with your team about what can hinder their wellbeing, performance and motivation.
We all deserve to feel valued and empowered to be our whole self at work. When people feel psychologically safe, teams can unlock innovation and excellence, driving improvements in mental health and performance.
What are the objectives of the My Whole Self campaign and its significance in promoting inclusive workplace cultures?
My Whole Self is a campaign for workplace culture change. It aims to create workplace cultures where people have the safety and freedom to choose which parts of their identity they share at work. At its heart, it’s about creating psychologically safe working environments. We know when people feel psychologically safe, teams perform better, driving innovation, creativity and engagement. We want organisations to empower employees to bring their whole self to work. That includes background, sexuality, religion, gender, health and mental health.
My Whole Self Day encourages workplaces to celebrate and embrace our diverse identities and experiences. It takes place on the second Tuesday in March, every year. Now in its sixth year, hundreds of organisations take part each year, including Skanska, Ford, The National Crime Agency; and NHS Trusts have adopted the campaign.
In 2025, we should feel safe to bring our whole selves to work, without fear of judgement or consequence. Our report with Henley Business School shows 31% of people agreed that not being your whole self at work has an impact on your productivity. Employers who create an inclusive and open workplace culture will see the results in staff satisfaction, productivity and performance.
By rolling back on EDI initiatives, we risk rolling back years of progress. We only need to look at who leads FTSE 100 business to know that the workplace is not set up for everyone to succeed.
How can employers create environments where employees feel comfortable expressing all facets of their identity, including background, sexuality, religion, gender and health?
Inclusive and psychologically safe working cultures are vital in boosting workplace mental health and performance. If we want people to share parts of their identities at work, they must feel safe to do so without fear of judgement or consequence.
Every employee has a role to play in creating a safe workplace, but change must come from the top. Leaders should set the bar for a whole organisation approach to inclusion and wellbeing. They should model vulnerability and lead the creation of policies that demonstrate fairness and dignity for everyone. These principles need to be baked into the business strategy so that wellbeing and performance can fuel one another.
All organisations have different ways of working, but a commitment to creating and building connections among colleagues to help boost performance and purpose is a good place to start. Discovering more about your employee’s whole self unlocks the magic of being able to provide a highly supportive and a positively challenging relationship. MHFA England’s My Plan for Working Well is a personal, proactive tool to help employees and managers build those relationships and identify what keeps them and their colleagues working well.
Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives have faced rollbacks in both the UK and the US, with some questioning their relevance. What impact does this have on workplace wellbeing, and how should employers respond?
This year, our My Whole Self campaign warned employers of the risks of deprioritising EDI. Our research showed almost a third of employees (30%) say people in their organisation sometimes reject others for being different. One in 10 employees (9%) said they don’t feel their team treat each other with respect. There’s been a 25% drop in the number of people who feel they can bring their whole self to work — 66% in 2020; 41% in 2024 — risking employee wellbeing and productivity.
By rolling back on EDI initiatives, we risk rolling back years of progress. We only need to look at who leads FTSE 100 business to know that the workplace is not set up for everyone to succeed. We know diverse teams perform better. We also know that when people have to hide parts of their identity at work, they have less energy to expend on the work itself. Our research shows 36% of people agreed that not being your whole self at work has an impact on how engaged you feel with your work. We risk losing out not just great people but great ideas and innovation, and a decline in productivity.
Rather than reverting to a workplace of the past because that’s what those that shout the loudest are telling us to do, employers must stay focused on creating workplaces where people and businesses thrive.
What training or resources does MHFA England offer to organisations aiming to support employee mental health during the transition back to office settings?
Establishing a culture of trust is key to creating communication between employees and senior leaders. MHFA England has a number of resources including the My Whole Self: Manager’s toolkit, which is a short guide written for managers working at all levels within organisations. It sets out principles and practices that every manager should be developing to drive positive workplace wellbeing to create workplaces where everyone is safe to bring their whole self to work.
When employees feel like their concerns are being listened to and flexibility is being offered where possible, it can help ease the transition for workers adapting their working schedule.