Rethinking Workplace Mental Health Through CCLA’s Corporate Benchmark

Since 2020 Chronos has worked with CCLA Investment Management on its award-winning Corporate Mental Health Benchmark. The Benchmark has two versions – a UK and global edition – which together analyse around 220 companies each year on how well their policies and practices support employee mental health.  

The Chronos team helped design and develop the Benchmark, and each year carries out the company assessments, incorporating their feedback and analysing the findings from almost 6,000 data points to co-author Benchmark reports.  

We also help liaison with the Benchmark’s Expert Advisory Panel, comprising workplace mental health experts and specialist practitioners. An investor coalition supports the programme which as of October 2024 constituted 56 investors managing around $10 trillion of assets.  

The Benchmark has driven notable improvements in workplace mental health disclosure. As of 2024, the 89 companies that have appeared in the UK benchmark over three years have seen an overall average score increase from 35% in 2022 to 42%. In the global edition in 2024, 12 companies moved up a performance tier, suggesting close to 1.5 million more employees now work for businesses with a better approach to mental health support.   

There is a strong incentive for companies to protect and strengthen workplace mental health. It is estimated that employers stand to gain £4.70 for every £1 invested in employee mental wellbeing.