Men’s Health Week runs from 15 to 21 June 2026, and is organised by the Men’s Health Forum. This year’s theme is small, manageable actions that lead to lasting change. For employers, that message is particularly relevant. Men’s health at work is an area where modest changes in how a business operates can have a meaningful impact.
Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50 in the UK, and around 75% of suicides registered in England and Wales are male. Yet only 36% of referrals to NHS Talking Therapies are men. Half of men in the UK have struggled with their mental health at some point, but fewer than half of those have sought medical advice. Men are also less likely than women to attend routine health checks or visit a GP about a physical concern.
The workplace will not solve all of this, but it is one of the few places where many men spend the majority of their time and where early support can genuinely reach them.
Why men’s health at work deserves more attention
In November 2025, the UK government published England’s first-ever Men’s Health Strategy. It specifically cited the impact of men’s health on workplaces as a key concern. According to the Men’s Health Forum, over 190,000 men a year in the UK report stress, depression or anxiety caused or made worse by work, and yet many workplaces are still better set up to respond to health issues once they become visible than to prevent them from quietly building.
The barriers are not always dramatic, but are often structural. Routine medical appointments fall during working hours. Flexibility around health checks is limited in shift-based or site-based roles. Well-being resources exist but are not communicated in ways that feel accessible or relevant to men. The result of this is that small issues are left to grow.
What actually helps
Making time off for medical appointments easy and normal
One of the most practical things an employer can do is make it straightforward for men to attend health appointments without it feeling complicated or like a problem. Research from Healthwatch England in 2025 found that inflexibility around appointment times is one of the most common reasons men give for not attending GP visits or NHS health checks. Clear, consistently communicated policies around paid time off for medical appointments remove a real barrier.
Training managers to notice the signs
Men’s mental health often does not present in the way people expect. Rather than someone saying they are struggling, the signs can be withdrawal, irritability, a drop in performance, or changes in behaviour. Managers who understand this are far better placed to check in early.
According to research from Reed, 43% of men say they want more mental health support from their employers. Training line managers to have straightforward, human conversations is one of the highest-impact things a business can do.
Talking about men’s health openly and specifically
General well-being messaging often doesn’t land for men. Communications that name men’s health directly, reference specific challenges men face, and point clearly to available support are more effective. Men’s Health Week is a good moment to start those conversations and continue them beyond June.
Reviewing what support is actually available
Many organisations have employee assistance programmes or access to counselling. Fewer make sure those resources are clearly signposted, easy to access, and communicated in plain language. A resource that exists but is hard to find, or is clinical in tone, is unlikely to be used. Reviewing how support is presented, and whether it feels relevant to men, takes relatively little time and can make a significant difference in take-up.
Small steps, genuinely taken
Men’s Health Week is a reminder that the health barriers men face are real and that workplaces are one of the few places where those barriers can be reduced. The changes do not have to be sweeping. A clearer policy and a better-informed manager can make a difference, leading to a conversation that might not have otherwise happened.
For further information on men’s health and the support available, the Men’s Health Forum is a useful starting point: www.menshealthforum.org.uk
