One-in-four London workers feels uncomfortable discussing their mental health at work. Let that sink in for a moment.
Mental health has never been higher on the corporate agenda. Wellbeing strategies, employee assistance programmes, and ‘open door’ policies are now common fixtures in the modern workplace. Yet a significant portion of London's workforce still hesitates to raise their hand when they're struggling. So, what's really going on and what can employers do about it?
To better understand the current landscape, we partnered with independent mental health charity SANE to survey 2,000 UK employed adults in April 2025. The findings from London-based participants paint a picture of a workforce that's making progress but still navigating some significant barriers.
The state of mental health in London's workplaces
London can be a high-pressure city. Long hours, competitive environments, and a cost-of-living crisis that shows no signs of easing. Therefore, it's perhaps no surprise that mental health is a growing concern among the capital's workforce.
Our survey found that 16% of London workers currently have a mental health condition, either formally diagnosed or suspected. A further 13% have experienced a mental health condition in the past. That means nearly a third of London's workforce has been, or is, affected in some way.
What's more, burnout is widespread. When asked how often they experience symptoms of burnout or exhaustion due to work, including fatigue, feelings of dread, increased brain fog, and headaches, only 10% said never. A striking 27% said they experience these symptoms ‘often’ or ‘always’.
The data makes one thing clear: mental health challenges at work are not the exception. They're the norm.
The disclosure dilemma
Despite growing awareness, many workers still struggle with the decision to open up about their mental health at work. One quarter of London respondents feel uncomfortable - either ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ - discussing mental health at work.
When we asked participants why they hadn’t taken time off due to mental health reasons (select all that apply), their responses were:
I have never needed a day off due to my mental health – 68%
I would rather work to keep distracted from my mental health – 13%
I needed time off, but I couldn’t due to workload – 10%
I needed time off, but couldn't afford it due to financial reasons – eight per cent
I needed time off, but I was afraid of being judged by colleagues – six per cent
Prefer not to say – four per cent
Although just six per cent said they were afraid of being judged by colleagues, when we asked whether they had ever felt discriminated against or stigmatised at work due to their mental health, 44% agreed - either ‘somewhat’ or ‘strongly’. That's nearly half of London's surveyed workforce.
The stigma is still there. It may be quieter than it once was, but it's woven into the fabric of many organisations. And until employers take deliberate, consistent steps to address it, workers will continue to suffer in silence.
What's driving poor mental health at work?
Understanding what causes poor mental health at work is essential for any employer who wants to make a meaningful difference. Our survey identified the top factors that have negatively impacted workers' mental health:
Work-life balance - 36%
Heavy workload - 33%
Financial worries - 29%
High expectations - 28%
External life events - 25%
Feeling undervalued - 24%
This highlights how workload management, recognition programmes, financial wellbeing support, and clear expectations aren't ‘nice to haves’, they're the building blocks of a mentally healthy workplace.
The hidden cost of undisclosed absence
Here's a figure that should stop any employer in their tracks: of those who had taken time off for mental health reasons, the majority had taken between two and five days in the last 12 months - with some taking considerably more. A portion of respondents reported taking anywhere from eight to over 200 days off in the same period.
Yet 15% of those who took mental health-related leave never told their employer why. This isn't just a wellbeing issue - it's a data problem. If employers don't know the real reasons behind absence, they can't address the root causes. They can't adapt their support. And they certainly can't measure whether their wellbeing initiatives are working.
Closing this disclosure gap requires psychological safety - the genuine belief that speaking up won't lead to judgement, career consequences, or a heavier workload on return.
What good support looks like
The good news is that when employers do get it right, workers notice. Of those who took mental health-related leave and found their employer supportive, the key reasons were:
Being encouraged to take breaks - 64%
Being checked in on after returning to work - 63%
Clear communication during the transition back - 55%
Having workloads eased or redistributed - 49%
Being offered flexibility with deadlines - 49%
None of these require a significant budget. They require attentiveness, communication, and a genuine commitment to treating people as people, not just resources.
Contrast this with the experiences of those who felt unsupported. The most cited reasons were:
Insufficient flexibility - 64%
Being asked too many questions about the absence - 55%
Increased hostility on return - 45%
Having more added to their workload - 36%
Poor communication throughout - 36%
The support gap: What workers are asking for
London workers aren't asking for the world. When surveyed about what improvements they'd suggest to better support mental health in the workplace, their answers were practical and achievable:
Better communication about available support - 45%
More flexible working arrangements - 41%
Training for managers on mental health awareness - 41%
More resources - 30%
The most requested change - better communication about available support - is particularly significant. It suggests that in many cases, the resources already exist, but employees simply don't know about them. Thirty-seven per cent of respondents said their employer offers flexible working hours, and 36% said counselling services are available. Yet utilisation of these resources tells a different story, with 24% of respondents saying they had never needed to use them and others simply not engaging. Promotion and accessibility matter just as much as provision.
Manager training is equally critical. Managers are often the first, and sometimes the only, line of support for struggling employees. Yet without proper training, they're being asked to navigate highly sensitive conversations without the tools to do so effectively. Investing in mental health awareness training for managers isn't just an act of compassion. It's sound business practice.
Building a culture of openness: Where to start
So, what does this mean for London employers? The data points to a clear set of priorities.
1. Make support visible If your organisation offers an employee assistance programme, counselling services, or flexible working arrangements, ensure every employee knows about them. Regular communication removes the guesswork and reduces the barrier to seeking help.
2. Train your managers Mental health awareness training for managers should be a standard part of professional development, not an optional extra. Equip them with the language, confidence, and practical frameworks to support their team members effectively.
3. Create genuine psychological safety Psychological safety is built through consistent behaviours over time; leaders who share their own vulnerabilities, managers who respond to disclosure with empathy rather than interrogation, and policies that protect rather than penalise those who speak up.
4. Review your working patterns With work-life balance and heavy workloads topping the list of mental health stressors, the way work is structured matters enormously. Regular workload reviews, clear boundaries around out-of-hours communication, and meaningful flexibility can make a real difference to daily wellbeing.
5. Measure what matters If you don't track mental health-related absence accurately, you can't improve. Anonymous surveys, regular one-to-ones, and a culture of honest feedback all contribute to a clearer picture of where your organisation stands and where it needs to go.
Positive mental health in the workplace requires an ongoing commitment to understanding, supporting, and genuinely valuing the people who make up your organisation.
The data from our survey is clear: London's workers are dealing with real pressures, many are struggling in silence, and a considerable number don't feel safe enough to be honest about it. But they also know what would help. They're not asking for perfection, they're asking to be heard, supported, and trusted.
For employers, the opportunity to act is now. The cost of inaction — in lost productivity, increased absence, and high staff turnover far outweighs the investment required to build a truly supportive workplace.
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