ONE of Brighton’s biggest employers has launched its new Red Report looking at mental health in the workplace.

It is the outcome of Legal and General’s inaugural mental health forum last year,which gathered business leaders, mental health experts and sports personalities.

Attendees worked together to identify five key issues they believe are barriers to hinder open, honest discussions around mental wellbeing at work.

Nearly half, 48 per cent, revealed they didn’t feel their employees would confide in a colleague if they were struggling with their own mental well-being.

But 85 per cent said that they had seen improvements over the past five years with regards to discussing mental health in the workplace.

Some 97 per cent said the recent increase in coverage of mental health stories from the sporting world had helped to destigmatise the topic.

As part of the full-day event, delegates were asked to contribute to a series of round table discussions to explore the barriers that are preventing conversations around mental health in their own workplaces.

Five key themes emerged:

• A lack of education and understanding around mental health problems

• The current portrayal and narrative surrounding mental health

• The company’s overall culture

• Poor availability of resources to help address mental health

• The lack of role models within business

Nigel Wilson, CEO of Legal and General, said: “Understanding the barriers to discussing mental health in the workplace is the key to improving the quality and quantity of these conversations.

“Our Not a Red Card campaign launched last May, used the power of sport and iconic sports people to tackle the issue head on, and we were able to engage with 3.5million people on social media alone.

“Our Red Report is the next step to identify what is discouraging employees from being open and honest about mental health.”

Legal and General has made three pledges to help remove the stigma often unfairly associated with the mental health.

The FTSE 100 insurer is incentivising openness by encouraging colleagues to discuss these issues and promote active listening to create an environment of mutual support within the company.

It will also be providing training for employees to help spot and deal with signs of mental distress and will be actively developing a positive narrative to be communicated with colleagues.