More than half of HR executives in the UK are concerned about mental health in the workplace according to new research from MetLife.

 The study shows HR departments are becoming more concerned about mental health issues as 67% of those questioned say it is a major issue at their workplace. Meanwhile, 53% of HR staff have found themselves providing counselling – more than double the number who have had to settle disputes among staff.

“The pressure on HR departments from dealing with mental health issues is growing and shows the strain they are under dealing with issues they are not necessarily trained for,” Tom Gaynor, Employee Benefits Director of MetLife UK, said. “It also highlights a significant gap in training and the capability of line managers to fulfil this business critical role.”

The research demonstrates that HR staff are increasingly being asked to deal with issues which are not strictly within their job description – 76% say they are surprised about the level of personal and private information staff tell them while 22% say they have provided marriage and relationship counselling.

“It is positive to the extent that employees are willing to talk about and acknowledge that they are under stress but clearly it is preferable that staff do not get to the point where they have to seek help,”Gaynor said. “Addressing mental health issues in the workplace does not need to be expensive and there are simple steps that organisations can take such as conducting stress audits and making full use of employee benefits and wellness programmes.”