Employer engagement has been identified as one of four regional priorities because:

1. Although record numbers of people are in work, with an average employment rate for the UK working age population of 74%, only 24% of people with long term mental health problems have a job and this figure is further reduced to as low as 12% for people with severe mental health problems (ONS, 2006)

2. The cost of mental ill health to the economy is a national problem-shared by the state and all businesses

3. About half of people developing common mental health problems are no longer affected 18 months later, but poorer people, the long term sick and unemployed people are more likely to be still affected than the general population (Singleton, 2003)

4. We know that there are things that businesses can do that evidence suggests will improve employees mental health and save businesses money

5. Mismanaging mental health problems in the workplace has both reputational and legal risks

6. Mental health problems (and the endemic stigma and discrimination that denies many people who have/have had mental health problems access to employment) has a negative impact on the overall supply of labour and the level of taxation in the economy

7. Surveys of mental health service users' views, conducted in other regions, indicate that providing mental health awareness for employers is one of the top two solutions suggested

Based on the experiences of programmes in Australia and America, a recent policy paper from SCMH attempts to quantify the cost of mental health to business in financial terms, illustrating why mental health is important to all employers-as a business matter- and how work-based programmes to tackle mental health can deliver savings for businesses (Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, 2007).

With this in mind emphasis needs to be given to prioritising the needs of the current workforce and to equipping them with the skills to do their jobs, and, to drawing upon the skills of those currently not in the labour market - many of whom may have or have had a mental health problem.

The regional Statement of Priorities recognises that if people with mental health problems are to be able to gain and maintain employment it is important to engage employers particularly in terms of the business case for positive recruitment and staffing policies to support individuals.  Best practice suggests that the key elements of an effective work-based programme would include:

• Recognition by employers that work is on the whole very good for mental health, as it is for physical health (Waddell & Burton, 2006 cited in (Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, 2007).
• Prevention of mental health problems which are directly work-related (accounting for around 15 per cent of total costs). This may include providing mentally healthy working conditions and practices in line with the Health and Safety Executive's management standards on work-related stress.
• Awareness training for line managers, to increase their knowledge and understanding of mental health issues and their ability to respond confidently and in a timely fashion to employees in distress.
• Better access to help, particularly access to evidence-based psychological help that, wherever possible, enables people to carry on working at the same time as receiving support.
• Effective rehabilitation for those who need to take time off work, including regular contact with the employee during periods of absence (Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, 2007).