More than one million fit notes relating to mental and behavioural disorders were issued by the NHS in the UK last year, new analysis by employment law firm GQ|Littler has found, with two in five (42 per cent) of those signing employees off work for a month or longer.
GQ|Littler said the reasons behind the large number of fit notes could include the increased scope of PTSD diagnoses, increased awareness around mental health, decreased stigma and the continued fallout of the impact of Covid restrictions on mental health.
In total, 10 million fit notes were distributed in the UK, 4.5 million of which signed workers off for more than a month.
Sophie Vanhegan, partner at GQ|Littler, said employers must continue to shift culture and workplace dynamics to encourage greater awareness of and support for mental health issues, as this would help minimise high incidences of long-term absence relating to mental ill-health as well as reducing employee disputes on the matter.
“Employees need to know they’re being supported before, during and after an absence for mental health reasons,” she added.