Mental health in the workplace - 6 Minute English

six weeks English from BBC learning English

hello this is 6 minute English I'm Neil and I'm Georgina in this program we're

focusing on the topic of mental health at work yes it's an issue that can be

difficult to see if someone has an injury like a broken leg or a serious

medical issue it's obvious and we can understand what's happening with mental

health issues though there's no physical sign and people who are experiencing

difficulties maybe don't get the same understanding as people who have medical

problems it's a topic that has been getting more publicity recently

particularly as members of the British royal family have been talking about it

also awareness is raised through events such as World Mental Health Day and that

is the topic of our quiz World Mental Health Day is held every year on October

the 10th it aims to raise awareness of mental health issues and their effects

on people's lives in what year was it first held was it a 1992 B 2002 or C

2012 would you think Georgina mmm I don't know I think it will be older than

2012 but as old as 1992 hmm I don't know I'm gonna go with 2002 okay well I'll

have the answer later in the program and we'll see if you're right mental health

problems are very difficult personally for those who suffer from them and they

also have an impact on businesses Paul Farmer is head of the mental health

awareness charity mind he spoke on the BBC World Service business daily

programme about this how much does he say it costs businesses in the UK we

know that the cost of failing to address mental health in business is colossal in

the UK it costs between 33 and 42 billion pounds a year

about 50 billion dollars and around about 300,000 people fall out of work

every year as a result of poor mental health so that's a huge cost to

workplaces and to individuals behind those numbers though are the lives

of talented able contributors who often just slide away from the workplace

because they don't get the right help and support for their mental health

what figures did Paul Farmer give there he gave the figure of about between

thirty three and forty two billion pounds which is about fifty billion

dollars that's a lot of money it is in fact he called it colossal this

adjective means huge really really big this is the cost of business he says are

failing to address the mental health issue failing to address means ignoring

or not dealing with the problems it leads to staff leaving work and he says

these people are contributors they give something to the business in terms of

their skill and experience and because of the mental health issues which could

be addressed but aren't those contributors are being lost to the

business so it cost companies more money to recruit and train new staff and you

can't always replace the experience that is lost let's listen again we know that

the cost of failing to address mental health in business is colossal

in the UK it costs between thirty three and forty two billion pounds a year

about fifty billion dollars and around about 300,000 people fall out of work

every year as a result of poor mental health so it's a huge cost to workplaces

and to individuals behind those numbers though are the lives of talented able

contributors who often just slide away from the workplace because they don't

get the right help and support for their mental health in recent years it seems

as if there has been more understanding of mental health issues not just in the

workplace but in society as a whole Jeff McDonald is a campaigner for the

organization minds at work he spoke on the business daily program about one way

that things are getting a little better I think what's really changed is people

telling their stories and the more stories that we tell it kind of begins

to normalize this every single story that we tell is like

sending a lifeboat out into the ocean and the millions and millions and people

who are suffering in silence do you not they do they cling on to that

lifeboat and they realize they're not alone and they might just be normal

so because more people are talking about this issue it begins to normalize it

this means it becomes normal it's not unusual strange or hidden there are

people who suffer in silence they keep to themselves

and hide their problems from others but because there is more publicity about

this topic they can begin to feel that they are not alone and they don't have

to suffer in silence people sharing their stories are like lifeboats for

those who do suffer in silence in this metaphor they can cling on to the

lifeboats right we are going to have another look at our vocabulary but first

let's have the answer to the quiz when was the first World Mental Health Day

was it a 1992 B 2002 or C 2012 Georgina what did you say I thought it was 2002

it was actually earlier 1992 now a review of our vocabulary failing to

address is a phrase that means ignoring a problem or not trying to help with a

problem something colossal is very very big a contributor is someone who has

something to give who is a positive benefit to in this case a business then

we have the verb to normalize meaning to make something normal someone who

suffers in silence doesn't talk about their problems and may hide them from

others and finally if you cling on to something you hold on to it tightly you

don't want to let it go and that's all from us from this program we look

forward to your company again soon in the meantime find us online on social

media and on the BBC learning english app bye

six minutes English from BBC learning English hi everyone we hope you enjoyed

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