Employers with policies insured with income protection specialist Unum will now have access to Mental Health First Aid courses for their staff.
Developed by Mental Health First Aid England, the two day course trains employers to recognised the signs and symptoms of mental ill health and provide support and guidance towards the right support services.
Those completing the course will have mental health first aider status and will be able to spot mental health problems early, take action to prevent them from developing into something much more serious and help colleagues to recover more quickly.
Employers can opt for onsite sessions for their own staff or join other companies in their sector.
Unum said it hoped its promotion of mental health first aid will help to drive a culture change in UK workplaces by increasing employer understanding, building line manager capability and providing practical support for staff.
Andrew Potterton, head of proposition development at Unum, said: "Just as every workplace has access to first aid in response to injury or physical illness, we want all companies to have first aiders to support colleagues with mental health problems."
He added: "There remains considerable stigma and misunderstanding around mental health and we aim to tackle this head on by helping employers equip their workplaces with the skills and knowledge to handle these issues effectively.
"We hope this drive will support recent moves in government, in healthcare and among employers to push mental health up the workplace agenda."
