BOSSES are being urged to do more to have open lines of communication with employees about mental health.

At the start of Mental Health Awareness Week today, a study reveals that most employees will bottle up their feelings and not discuss problems with their managers for fear of being judged.

The study also found that poor mental health of workers can also result in slowed productivity for businesses and organisations.

Mental health is still a “taboo” subject in the workplace, a survey of 400 employees by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) states.

One worker said: “I have been diagnosed with anxiety and depression but never admitted to it at work for fear of being stigmatised.”

Only one in 10 would feel comfortable speaking about issues such as eating disorders or postnatal depression, a poll of 2,000 adults by Mental Health First Aid England and Bauer Media found.

Meanwhile, a YouGov poll of 2,000 workers commissioned by the conciliation service Acas showed two-thirds have felt stressed or anxious about work over the past year.

The most common reasons given for the way they felt included workloads (60 per cent), the way that they were managed (42 per cent) and balancing home and work lives (35 per cent).

Acas chief executive Susan Clews said the results are “a cause for concern” and that active steps need to be taken to support the wellbeing of all staff.

“Our study found that seven out of 10 employees believe it is a line manager’s role to recognise and address stress or anxiety at work, but only two-fifths said that they would talk to their manager about it,” she said.