Why small businesses should invest in mental health training, especially in tough times

Here, our Chief Executive Jon Neal explains what the benefits of investing in mental health training are when budgets are tighter than ever.

When economic uncertainty hits, whether it’s a full-blown recession or just a shaky period, small businesses often look for quick and easy savings. Training budgets, marketing, and even mental health support can seem like tempting areas to cut.

But if you’re a small business owner, here’s why investing in workplace mental health training isn’t just good for your team, it’s also good for your bottom line.

Mental health training: more than a “nice to have”

In challenging times, it’s easy to think of mental health support as something to revisit when cashflow improves. It can feel like a luxury, or a “nice to have,” rather than a core part of your business operations.

But that mindset could be costing your business more than you realise.

Don’t look at mental health training in the workplace as an expense, it’s an investment. Just like you expect a return from your marketing or operations spend, you should expect a return on investment (ROI) from supporting your staff’s wellbeing.

The evidence: £5 return for every £1 invested

Don’t just take our word for it. The landmark Thriving at Work report, originally commissioned by the UK Government in 2019 and authored by Deloitte, Lord Dennis Stevenson and Paul Farmer (then CEO of Mind), proves the ROI of mental health investment.

For every £1 spent on mental health initiatives in the workplace, businesses see an average return of £5.

This isn’t anecdotal. Deloitte’s research has been updated several times since their first report and consistently shows that workplace mental health training, support services, and cultural improvements generate strong financial returns.

Culture change delivers the biggest ROI

While offering mental health champions or employee counselling is a great starting point, the biggest gains come from genuine culture change.

In fact, Deloitte’s data shows that businesses who embed mental health into their company culture see ROI figures even higher than 5:1.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Trusting your employees to deliver without constant surveillance, KPIs, or micromanagement.
• Recognising achievements and offering meaningful, stretching work.
• Clearly communicating purpose, so each team member understands how their role fits into the bigger picture.

These aren’t just great for mental health, they’re powerful drivers of performance, productivity, and employee engagement.

The true cost of doing nothing or making those cuts

If you’re thinking mental health support is a cost you can’t afford, consider this:

• What does staff absenteeism cost you in sick pay?
• How much time and money is lost to recruitment and onboarding when stressed staff leave?
• What is the impact of presenteeism - employees showing up physically but not mentally engaged?

All of these are costly issues that mental health training and culture change can directly address.

Invest in your team and your business

At The Mental Health Toolkit, we help small businesses like yours build healthier, more resilient workplaces. We offer:

• Affordable mental health training for teams
• Practical toolkits and consultancy
• Online and in-person resources tailored for small business needs

Our solutions are designed to give you real ROI - not just in staff wellbeing, but in performance, retention, and business outcomes.

Ready to build a more resilient, productive workforce?

Explore our mental health training for small businesses and see how we can support your team and help your business thrive.