WATCH: Portsmouth MP raises awareness of mental health in #TimetoTalk drive

Penny Mordaunt, also a minister in the government’s department for work and pensions, has urged employers to create an environment where staff can open up about problems and talk them through.

Today marks Time to Talk Day, which brings the nation together to get talking and break the silence around mental health issues.

In a #TimetoTalk Twitter video released by the DWP, Ms Mordaunt said: ‘One in six people in the British workforce, have a mental health illness, but only half of those people feel able to talk to their employer about it.

‘That’s awful for them, but it’s also bad for British business and British productivity.

‘We need to change that.

‘On 2 February, it’s Time to Talk day, this is a campaign that’s part of the Time to Change campaign.

‘We need to create an environment where the workforce feel able to talk to their employers about these issues. ‘But it’s not just up to the boss and management, it’s up to all of us as work colleagues to provide that environment for our colleagues. So how can we do that?

‘Employers you can sign up to that campaign and show your workforce that you’re an employer that understands these issues and you can be approached on these subjects.’