World Mental Health Day: How London Employers Can Support Staff All Year Round

World Mental Health Day takes place on 10 October every year. Across London, offices mark it with talks, green ribbons and wellbeing emails. That’s a good start. The challenge is what happens on 11 October.

Mental Health UK’s Burnout Report 2026 found that only 27% of workers feel mental health is genuinely prioritised and supported at work through action and resources. Almost one in five (18%) said it is treated as a box-ticking exercise (Mental Health UK).

Here’s how to make sure your support feels real, all year round.

Why it matters for your business

Deloitte estimates poor mental health costs UK employers £51 billion a year through absence, presenteeism and staff turnover. The same research found that, on average, employers get back around £4.70 for every £1 invested in employee mental health support (Deloitte).

Supporting mental health is the right thing to do. It also makes good business sense.

Five ways to keep the momentum going

1. Build a wellbeing calendar

Use awareness dates to plan activity across the year, so mental health isn’t a once-a-year topic. Useful dates include:

• Time to Talk Day (early February)
• Stress Awareness Month (April)
• Mental Health Awareness Week (May)
• World Mental Health Day (10 October)
• Stress Awareness Day (first Wednesday in November)

2. Train your managers

Managers are often the first to notice when someone is struggling, but many don’t feel confident starting the conversation. Short, practical training helps them listen well and point people towards support.

3. Make support easy to find

Many companies pay for an Employee Assistance Programme that staff never use, simply because they don’t know it exists. Put the number on your intranet, in onboarding packs and in meeting rooms.

4. Give people time to recover

Wellbeing perks only work if people have the time to use them. Regular, built-in breaks help, whether that’s a protected lunch hour, no-meeting Fridays or a monthly on-site chair massage day.

5. Listen and act

Run a short pulse survey twice a year. Ask what’s working and what’s getting in the way. Then share what you’ll change. Staff notice when feedback goes nowhere.

Where chair massage fits in

On-site chair massage is a simple, visible way to show staff their wellbeing matters. A professional therapist sets up in a meeting room, staff book a 10 to 20 minute slot, and they return to their desks feeling more relaxed. It works well alongside the bigger structural changes above, and it gives people something to look forward to.

Read next: 12 Employee Wellbeing Ideas for London Offices That Staff Will Actually Use and Stress Awareness Day in the Office: 10 Ideas London Employers Can Use This November

Plan your next wellbeing day in London

Corporate Calm brings fully-clothed chair massage to offices and events across London. Whether you want to mark an awareness date or set up a regular wellbeing day, we’ll handle the details.

Email info@corporate-calm.co.uk or call 020 7100 5465.

If you or a colleague are struggling with your mental health, speak to your GP, visit Mind, or call Samaritans free on 116 123.