Athos Rushovich, Director of Specialist Health Distribution at Vitality, explains that mental health and wellbeing aren’t just personal issues; they directly affect productivity, retention, and overall business resilience. By drawing on sector-specific insight, advisers can tailor conversations, recommend relevant protection or benefit solutions, and help SMEs thrive in ways that really make a difference.
One-size‑fits-all rarely works, and nowhere is that more evident than in wellbeing. What good support looks like naturally differs from business to business, team to team and person to person.
It therefore follows that conversations about well-being need the same level of nuance. For advisers looking to build lasting relationships with SMEs, taking the time to understand the specific pressures facing a sector can make all the difference.
For businesses in PR, Marketing and Communications, mental health stands out as a particularly pressing issue. Nearly a third (29%) of employees who have needed mental health support at work say they didn’t feel able to ask for it, despite more than two‑thirds (68%) of those who have needed mental health support reporting that their mental health has a direct impact on their productivity.
We spoke to 500 UK SME workers in PR, Marketing and Communications, to give advisers insights into the pressures faced.
Our research highlighted that there are several barriers currently preventing employees who need support from seeking it, including:
- A lack of managerial training (47%)
- Perceived stigma around mental health (45%)
- Concerns that issues wouldn’t be taken seriously if raised (38%)
- Workplace cultures that don’t yet feel supportive enough (37%)
Practical constraints were also shown to play a role, from limited systems to provide support (23%) to a belief that others who appear “worse off” haven’t asked for help either (27%).
How advisers can use this type of data to open conversations around employee benefits and wellbeing support
For advisers, this kind of sector-specific insight can be a powerful way to open meaningful conversations. Mental health will look different in every SME, but demonstrating an understanding of the challenges facing a particular industry is likely to resonate far more than a generic approach.
Once those initial discussions begin, advisers can then explore what’s happening within a business itself. Existing data sources, such as absence and turnover figures, engagement or satisfaction surveys, exit interview feedback and benefit utilisation, can all help build a clearer picture of where support is working well and where gaps may exist.
Why mental health should increasingly form part of broader SME advice discussions
What this reinforces is that health is not just a personal issue; it’s a business consideration. Particularly when it comes to SMEs, as when teams are small, the impact of health issues -including stress, burnout or sickness-related absence – is felt more quickly and more widely.
More than two in three employees surveyed say they worry about how stress affects their physical health, as well as its knock‑on effect on productivity. Encouragingly, the data also points to a clear opportunity. Businesses that prioritise mental health are more likely to attract and retain talent, a critical advantage in competitive sectors like PR and marketing.
Taken together, these findings underline the opportunity for advisers and employers alike. By helping SMEs prioritise better health, and by supporting efforts to reduce stigma and improve access to support, advisers can play a meaningful role in strengthening workplace culture, improving productivity and supporting long‑term business resilience.
Athos Rushovich is Director of Specialist Health Distribution for Vitality
