Budgets are tight and the economy is uncertain, so hiring a WBF or Wellbeing Consultant for your production might not feel possible right now. We’re here to share some insights into the potential ROI (return on investment) that mental health initiatives on TV & film productions can deliver.
Mental Health in the TV & Film Industry
In 2022 The Looking Glass Report revealed that an alarming 83% of TV and film workers feel that the industry culture negatively impacts their mental wellbeing. 87% of people working in film & TV report having had a mental health issue at some time in their lives (compared to 65% nationally), and a significantly high number of those have had suicidal thoughts (55% compared to 20% national average).
The Cost of Ignoring Mental Health
As well as the high human cost, neglecting mental health at work comes at a considerable cost to businesses too. In 2022/23, work-related stress, depression, and anxiety accounted for half of all work-related health issues in the UK, resulting in the loss of 17.1 million working days (HSE, 2023). This equates to tens of billions of pounds lost to the UK economy annually. When we compare these losses to the high rates of mental ill health in the TV & Film industry above, we can easily imagine the hidden expense of ignoring mental health on productions.
ROI Statistics
Investing in employee mental health has been proven to yield a significant financial return, averaging £5 for every £1 spent and potentially reaching as high as £11 for every £1 invested. While reactive support such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and counseling are beneficial (and important!), it’s fostering a culture of awareness and proactive mental health support that offers the highest potential ROI.
Analysis by Deloitte supports this – “Companies that achieved greater returns invested in activities that support employees along the entire mental health continuum – not just intervening when people are unwell” (Deloitte, 2020).
This is the impact you can expect to see on your production (and the bottom line) by investing in proactive and reactive mental health measures:
- Reduced absenteeism / presenteeism – supporting mental health can reduce absences and costs associated with presenteeism (where employees are at work but not fully productive due to illness). You’re likely to see presenteeism affecting freelancer-based productions, where workers don’t have sick-pay to rely on.
- Increased productivity – employees who feel supported tend to be more engaged and more productive at work, positively influencing production timelines and reducing costs.
- Higher morale – investing in wellbeing shows that the company cares about its employees’ health and happiness. This can boost morale, enhance the workplace culture and, ultimately, overall performance.
- Lower turnover of workers – employees are more likely to stay with / return to an organisation that prioritises their wellbeing. Supporting worker health and wellbeing can boost satisfaction and loyalty, which in turn reduces recruitment and training costs for new / replacement workers.
How can a WBF/Consultant support you to achieve this?
When production companies invest in support for their crews and cast, it signals that they care about worker wellbeing. Hiring a Wellbeing Facilitator (WBF) or Consultant is one way to demonstrate this commitment visibly and proactively.
A WBF offers confidential and neutral support to everyone involved in the production. They are trained to handle mental health issues, bullying, and harassment, and understand the specific challenges of the production environment.
A WBF will:
- Collaborate with Producers and Heads of Departments (HODs) to identify areas needing support, and suggest changes to improve working conditions, morale and well-being.
- Provide a visible and accessible source of support for everyone in the production (crew, cast and contributors) and signpost to additional support where needed.
- Develop a Stress & Mental Health Risk Assessment to identify stressors and mental health hazards, and work with the production team to mitigate these risks.
Wellbeing Consultants help production companies to prioritise worker mental health at a strategic level. Their services can include assessing general company wellbeing, developing policies and procedures, and suggestions for improving company culture. Consultants can also create custom prevention and intervention mental health strategies to help make production companies more resilient.
We’ve seen how prioritising wellbeing and investing in mental health measures is not just of ethical importance, it can also be a strategic financial decision with significant potential ROI. We encourage you to consider the steps you can take to create a more supportive working environment for your productions. Together, we can reduce hidden costs caused by poor mental health and foster a cultural shift towards better mental health support and awareness in the industry.
If you have any questions or want to learn more about engaging a WellBeing Facilitator or Consultant on your production, please contact us at 6ft From The Spotlight. We’d love to hear from you at info@6ftfrom.org
Written by WellBeing Facilitator Carys Mol. Carys works as a WBF across film, drama, and unscripted TV and consults on vulnerable contributor care, company culture, and promoting wellbeing on productions.
