Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to require companies to provide information on levels of sickness due to (a) stress and (b) other mental health issues.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has no current plans for legislation regarding sickness reporting, but will keep this under review. DWP already provides a voluntary reporting framework for employers (voluntary reporting on disability mental health and wellbeing, (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/voluntary-reporting-on-disability-mental-health-and-wellbeing)) and we encourage transparency in this space.

DWP works closely with Mind, the Health and Safety Executive and the business-led Mental Health at Work Leadership Council to review guidance and practice for employers on mental health in the workplace.