Research conducted by law firm GQ|Littler, based on NHS data for the year-ending March 2022, showed a 21% yearly increase in the number of fit notes – up to 10.4 million from the 8.6 million issued in 2020/21.
GQ|Littler suggested the increase in stress-related fit notes was likely caused by the impact of the pandemic on mental health, as lockdowns took their toll on workers.
Gemma Bullivant, HR consultant and grief and bereavement specialist, warned that it was less well understood that “adjusting back after a long period of building a new normal, such as lockdown, is also stressful”.
She also suggested it would be key for businesses to give managers the tools to have genuinely supportive conversations (such as mental health first aid training); consider how other aspects of the individual’s work-life blend might be impacting mental health, and give employees the tools to better understand their own mental health.”
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