Nearly three in ten employees will face mental ill-health problems in 2008, but bosses are unaware they could affect their workforce.

Research by the Shaw Trust, a provider of employment and training opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged people, reveals more needs to be done to raise awareness of mental ill-health.

It talked to a cross section of 550 businesses to get an understanding of how British industry perceives mental health in the workplace, and what employers need in order to feel able to support and retain valued employees and recruit new ones.

Although figures show that nearly three in every ten employees will have a mental health problem such as stress, anxiety or depression in any one year, only 17 percent of employers recognise this national average is likely to apply to their people.

More worrying is almost half thought none of their employees would suffer from any form of mental ill-health.

It is estimated mental ill-health costs business more than £9 billion in lost time and around seven in ten employers recognise they don’t know enough about their legal position and obligations relating to mental health in the workplace.

The report claims the responses "show a widespread lack of understanding and discrimination towards people who are suffering or have suffered from mental ill-health.

"The attitudes that emerge from our research might account for why so many employees try to soldier on with stress, depression, anxiety or other forms of mental ill-health and risk making their situation worse rather than telling anyone about their problem. It is evident that those experiencing mental ill-health naturally feel there is a stigma attached.

It adds: "Hardly surprising therefore that in reality employees or potential employees tell their employer as little as possible until it is ‘safe’, despite the fact that both parties agree that disclosure is beneficial in dealing with any issues."

For more information about the report, visit www.shaw-trust.org.uk/mentalhealth.

Find employers with an understanding of mental health issues at Diversity Milkround: click here.