A third of a million workers leave employment or are signed off every due to mental illness, with lost productivity costing the average employer £1,500 per worker per year, the CEO of national mental health charity Mind told Swindon employers.

Addressing the relaunched Swindon Mindful Employer Network, Paul Farmer welcomed the efforts that have been made to address workplace mental health over the past decade, but said employers could still do more – like making a mental health check part of employees’ annual appraisals.